Four police offiicers have died after being hit by a truck on Melbourne's Eastern Freeway as they dealt with a speeding driver.
The officers were killed after the truck ploughed in to them as they stood on the freeway just before 8 pm NZT yesterday.
A senior female constable, a senior male constable and two male constables were killed, one of whom had only recently joined the force.
"It's very tragic for the Victoria Police," said Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton at the scene of the crash last night.
According to Chief Commissioner Ashton, it's the largest number of police deaths in a single incident in the state.
Two of the officers had intercepted a speeding Porsche on the freeway, calling for backup from the two other members when they decided to impound the car.
Shortly after, the refrigerated truck ploughed into the officers.
The driver of the Porsche, who is believed to be uninjured, remains at large after running away from the scene.
It's understood the truck driver had experienced a "medical episode" and was taken to hospital under police guard for testing.
The chief comissioner said it was unclear whether he experienced the episode before or after the crash.
"We don't know at this stage what has caused him to drive that truck in to our police members."
Police Association Victoria secretary Wayne Gatt said the deaths would "shock police in stations across Victoria."
"These police officers were doing something we do 10 times, 20 times, 30 times a shift, intercepting a motor vehicle on the side of the road. This is the bread ad butter of policing," he said.
"This isn't the stuff that you go to do and expect to be killed doing. But each and every time a police officer does that for the next little while, they'll have this in the back of their minds, there's no doubt."
Australia's Police Minister Lisa Neville said the tragedy hurts the whole community, encouraging people to extend their support to the force at this time.
"Now is the time for people to really thank them," she said.
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