A POLICE source has hit back at reports they ordered drivers on the Hume freeway to create a roadblock to stop a stolen car that had earlier reached speeds of up to 200km/h.
Drivers said they were on the Hume Freeway near the Epping exit, about one kilometre from the Western Ring Road, last week when police ordered them to form a blockade with their cars.
The stolen car subsequently crashed into four cars, some of which contained children, in the emergency lane and the freeway’s outer left lane.
Four cars were damaged but no one was seriously hurt.
But the source said police wanted the emergency lane left clear so they could catch the driver, but members of the public moved into the lane to avoid the traffic disruption.
They said the plan was to slow all freeway traffic and leave the emergency lane clear, in the hope the desperate driver would get off the freeway’s main lanes and use the emergency lane.
“Police did not direct drivers into the emergency lane,” the source said.
“Police weren’t trying to create a static blockade. They were trying to create a rolling road block which would give the offender incentive to move into the emergency lane.”
Assistant Commissioner Stephen Fontana said he had heard conflicting versions of the incident but expected a police investigation would find the use of rolling road blocks and civilian vehicles was “not on”.
He said there was a plan to block the vehicle by boxing it in, in an area where civilians were not at risk, but a communication gap left some police unaware of that plan.
Road spikes were considered among other options, but they were not suitable because of the amount of freeway traffic.
Chief Commissioner Ken Lay said the circumstances of the incident “in no way, shape or form conform to our policy”.
Whittlesea Inspector Robert Dykstra said the chase was co-ordinated by Fawkner Highway Patrol officers, and Epping police became involved when it reached their region.
He said the officers involved remained on duty pending a review of the incident.
Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers.
