THE family of a Miners Rest man killed by a driver who was earlier involved in a police pursuit near Morwell have called for an end to chases on Victorian roads.
Jason Govan, 26, and his wife Rhiannon, 30, were the innocent victims of the fiery crash on the Princes Freeway on Saturday morning.
Their car was reduced to twisted metal after a driver fleeing police drove on the wrong side of the road for more than a kilometre, before killing himself and Mr Govan on impact.
Mrs Govan remains in a serious but stable condition in The Alfred hospital where she is recovering from surgery yesterday.
A Victoria Police spokesperson said a 42-year-old Morwell man was spotted speeding around 9am, but officers had abandoned the pursuit when it was deemed unsafe.
Mrs Govan’s sister Stacey Daciw yesterday called for a change in police policy to prevent further deaths.
“The family is really wanting to make sure that police chases are stopped forever,” Ms Daciw said.
“We just don’t think that a stolen car is worth the risk that it brings to other people on the roads and can lead to this kind of accident.”
She said the shock of being contacted by police on Saturday morning would stay with her forever and that Mr Govan’s family was grief-stricken.
His 17-month-old son was being cared for by Mrs Govan’s parents in Ballarat.
Mr Govan is the fifth person to die in a crash involving police pursuits in Victoria in less than two months, with Acting Chief Commissioner Kieran Walshe recently forced to defend the practice.
Mr Walshe said a no-pursuit policy would give criminals a licence to evade police, allowing those wanted for serious crimes to simply not stop when intercepted.
A Victoria Police spokesperson said investigations into the circumstances surrounding Saturday’s collision were already under way.
“The Major Collision Investigation Unit is in charge of the investigation with oversight from the Ethical Standards Department,” the spokesperson said.
“No one should have to go through what has happened to us,” Ms Daciw said.
“When are they going to say enough is enough and these pursuits are just too dangerous for the community?”
Anyone who witnessed the collision is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or visit www.crimestoppers.com.au
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