Richard Pusey files civil lawsuit against Victoria Police over 2020 Eastern Freeway deaths

Apr 25, 2026, 12:26

Introduction

Richard Pusey, a former mortgage broker, has started legal action in the Supreme Court of Victoria against the state's police force. The lawsuit seeks compensation for a 2020 incident on the Eastern Freeway where four police officers were killed by a truck while Pusey was being held for traffic violations.

Main Body

The incident happened on April 22, 2020. Victoria Police stopped Pusey for driving at 149 km/h in a 100 km/h zone. After a roadside drug test came back positive, four officers arrived to help impound his car. While they were there, a truck driven by Mohinder Singh crashed into the parked police cars and Pusey's vehicle. Pusey was not physically hurt, but all four officers died. After the crash, Pusey filmed the scene, making comments about the damage to his car and the officers' condition, and then left. The lawsuit claims that the police failed in their duty of care. They allegedly told Pusey to stop in a dangerous spot on the freeway instead of a safer place like a nearby exit. The legal document also says the police did not set up proper traffic management or safety measures, which put Pusey at risk of injury and property loss. Pusey is asking for compensation for his destroyed car, worth about $450,000, and for the psychological harm from seeing the crash. Furthermore, the lawsuit challenges the legality of his arrest the next day. It argues that using restraints and having media present was too extreme, since Pusey was willing to cooperate with investigators. This civil case comes after several criminal cases and strong criticism of the police. Former Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton said that leaving the scene and sharing images of the dead officers was a serious crime. Pusey has already served time in prison for his actions at the crash site and has been involved in other legal cases for assault and telecommunications offenses. In a 2024 court appearance for this civil case, Pusey wore unusual clothing, including a wig and novelty items. Reactions to the new lawsuit have been dismissive. For example, the spouse of one of the dead officers did not give a detailed comment, saying they were not interested in the case.

Conclusion

The Supreme Court of Victoria is expected to decide on Pusey's claims of negligence and wrongful arrest in the coming months. This lawsuit is another step in the long legal process that started after the 2020 freeway deaths.

Vocabulary Learning

allegedly (adv.)

supposedly / used to convey that something is claimed to be the case, although there is no proof據稱；涉嫌

Example:The company allegedly ignored safety warnings before the factory fire.

compensation (n.)

repayment / money given to someone to make up for loss or injury補償；賠償

Example:He is seeking compensation for the injuries he suffered in the car accident.

measure (n.)

action / a step taken to achieve a particular purpose措施；手段

Example:The government has introduced new measures to reduce air pollution in the city.

negligence (n.)

carelessness / failure to take proper care in doing something疏忽；失職

Example:The hospital was sued for medical negligence after the patient was given the wrong medicine.

violation (n.)

breach / an action that breaks a law, rule, or agreement違例；違反

Example:The driver was fined for several traffic violations, including speeding.

Sentence Learning

The lawsuit seeks compensation for a 2020 incident on the Eastern Freeway where four police officers were killed by a truck while Pusey was being held for traffic violations.

Passive Voice & Relative Clause: This sentence uses the passive voice ("were killed", "was being held") to focus on the victims and the legal state, and a relative clause ("where") to specify the location.被動語態與關係子句：此句子使用被動語態（「were killed」、「was being held」）來強調受害者及當時的法律狀態，並使用關係子句（「where」）來明確說明發生的地點。

While they were there, a truck driven by Mohinder Singh crashed into the parked police cars and Pusey's vehicle.

Past Participle Phrase: The phrase "driven by Mohinder Singh" functions as a reduced relative clause to provide essential information about the truck without using "which was".過去分詞短語：「driven by Mohinder Singh」充當縮略關係子句，在不使用「which was」的情況下提供有關該貨車的必要資訊。

The legal document also says the police did not set up proper traffic management or safety measures, which put Pusey at risk of injury and property loss.

Relative Clause (Sentential Which): The relative pronoun "which" refers back to the entire preceding clause (the failure to set up safety measures) to show the result of that situation.關係子句（指代整個主句）：關係代名詞「which」指代前面提到的整個子句（即警方未能設置安全措施），以顯示該情況所導致的結果。

It argues that using restraints and having media present was too extreme, since Pusey was willing to cooperate with investigators.

Subordinating Conjunction (Reason): The word "since" is used as a formal conjunction to introduce the reason or justification for the argument being made.從屬連詞（原因）：「since」用作正式連詞，引出該論點的理由或根據。

They allegedly told Pusey to stop in a dangerous spot on the freeway instead of a safer place like a nearby exit.

Linking Phrase (Contrast): The phrase "instead of" is used to contrast the actual action taken with a more logical or safer alternative.連接詞組（對比）：「instead of」用於將實際採取的行動與更合乎邏輯或更安全的替代方案進行對比。