Father of Daniel and Catherine Andrews’ crash victim reacts to new bombshell review

Matthew Field was uninformed of alleged 'cover-up' of police pursuit

The father of a man killed in a police pursuit crash involving former Victorian premier Daniel Andrews and his wife Catherine has expressed shock and disappointment after learning of a bombshell review that found police had engaged in a "cover-up" of the incident.

Matthew Field's 26-year-old son Luke was killed when his car was struck by a police vehicle that was pursuing another car in 2020. The Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (IBAC) review found that the police officers involved in the pursuit had engaged in a "deliberate and concerted effort" to conceal evidence and mislead investigators.

'Shocking and disappointing'

"It's shocking and disappointing," Mr. Field told The Herald Sun. "We were never told about any of this. We were just told that it was an accident and that there was nothing that could have been done."

Mr. Field said he was particularly concerned about the finding that the police officers had turned off their body cameras during the pursuit. "That's just not right," he said. "They should have been turned on the whole time."

The IBAC review also found that the police officers had failed to properly investigate the crash, and that they had lied to investigators about their actions. Mr. Field said he was "disgusted" by this behavior.

Call for accountability

Mr. Field said he wanted to see those responsible for the "cover-up" held accountable. "I want to see them stripped of their badges and charged with a crime," he said.

The IBAC review has been referred to the Director of Public Prosecutions, who will decide whether to lay charges against any of the police officers involved.