Tributes Pour In For Constable Glen Humphris And Three Other Victoria Police Officers Killed In Truck Crash

“A great sense of community and genuine empathy for everyone – victim and offender alike,” is how constable Glen Humphris was remembered, a day after he and three other Victoria police officers were killed in a multi-vehicle collision on Wednesday. The other police officers were identified as leading senior constable Lynette Taylor, senior constable Kevin King and Constable Josh Prestney.

Constable Humphris, who recently joined the police force, is survived by his partner of four years Todd. The couple had moved to Melbourne last year and Humphris applied to join Victoria Police. He graduated in March 2020 and was placed with the Road Policing (Drug and Alcohol Section).

“These officers were undertaking their everyday duties in helping to keep the community safe when they were killed… They were our colleagues, our friends, our squadmates, our family. Each from different backgrounds, each with different life experiences, each with a common goal to keep the community safe. Their families will never be the same and our thoughts and prayers are with them,” chief commissioner Graham Ashton said in a statement.

Before joining the police force, Humphris, who was born and raised in Gosford, NSW, had been an apprentice carpenter, personal trainer, sports scientist, and exercise physiologist. He had met Todd while working for Return to Work in Newcastle.

“He enjoyed the food and bar lifestyle of Melbourne and he continued to have a passion for exercise, competing in triathlons and maintaining a high level of fitness,” said the Victoria Police. He genuinely wanted to help people, his squadmates said.

“He had a great sense of community and genuine empathy for everyone – victim and offender alike. Glen is remembered as being very level-headed, caring, and supportive with a great sense of humour and had the ability to make light of any situation to calm people,” said Victoria Police.

Leading senior constable Taylor was with the Victoria police for 31 years and is survived by her husband and their two sons. Senior constable King is survived by his wife and three children. Constable Prestney, joined the force in May 2019 and is survived by his parents and brother.

The deaths were the biggest loss of officer lives in a single event in Victoria Police’s history. The incident occurred around 5.30 pm on April 22, 2020, on the Eastern Freeway near Chandler Highway. The officers were in the process of impounding a Porsche, after the driver of the car, allegedly returned a positive test. A large refrigerated truck reportedly entered the emergency lane and drove into the officers. The male truck driver was taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries, while the police officers located the Porsche driver.

Victoria Police say that “The investigation into the exact cause of the collision remains ongoing”. 

You can pay your tributes on Facebook to the fallen officers.