by But later that day, Mr Kissane said, Singh sent text messages to Mr Tuteru saying they needed to discuss a hard time the driver was having at home.
Mr Tuteru texted back: Talk this arvo. I will be in office.
Singh: OK but Steve [the other supervisor] said Im not fit to drive.
Mr Tuteru: Steve is NOT a doctor.
Singh: Ok thanks.
Mr Kissane said Singh arrived at work that afternoon, spoke and prayed with Mr Tuteru and agreed he would make one delivery from Lyndhurst to Thomastown.
One of the police cars being removed from the scene of the Eastern Freeway crash. Credit:Eddie Jim
Mr Tuteru is charged with manslaughter and is due to face court in May. His lawyer has said he will fight the charges.
Singh signed a fitness to drive form and began driving.
Minutes later he stopped to sell drugs to an associate and less than 40 minutes after that deal, other drivers saw Singhs truck veer across freeway lanes and into the emergency lane. One driver who witnessed the incident told his passenger: This dudes going to f—ing kill someone.
In the seconds before the crash, motion sensors in the truck activated lights and an alarm after detecting the two stationary police cars and Porsche ahead, but Singh made no attempt to brake and crashed at between 62km/h and 80km/h, according to a crash reconstruction expert.
Senior Constable Kings partner, Sharron Mackenzie, tearfully told the court she felt she would die from a broken heart from losing her soul mate and best friend.
They spent a lifetime together after meeting as teenagers and together had three sons, who adored their father and spent weekends watching and playing sport.
The pain that comes with losing your best friend, your life partner, your protector and the father of your children is indescribable. The gut-wrenching pain of a lost love, Ms Mackenzie said.
That night our lives were thrown into absolute turmoil. For the first time in my life I understood the feeling of deep, choking pain … deep and utter despair and I felt I could die from a broken heart.
Senior Constable Kevin King, Constable Josh Prestney, Leading Senior Constable Lynette Taylor and Constable Glen Humphris were killed in the Eastern Freeway collision.
Leading Senior Constable Taylors husband, Stuart Schulze, remembered his wife as a keen traveller, ferociously protective mother of their two sons and an officer who loved her responsibility of working to keep roads safe but hated the dangers the job posed.
I have a deep sadness for all the things we did together but can no longer share, Mr Schulze said.
Constable Prestneys parents, Andrew and Belinda, described the dread of waiting for news after they saw a television report about the crash and the loss of meaning in their lives in the months since. Ms Prestney had been unable to reconcile her two recurring images of her son: in his cot as a newborn and in his casket.
The disbelief and anguish over what I have lost has shattered my world. The pain and grief are visceral and have manifested themselves as a weight that sits on my back, runs through my veins and has left a gaping wound in my heart, she said.
Constable Prestneys brother, Alex, is also a police officer but has been unable to return to his job in highway patrol since the crash, had trouble wearing his uniform and lost his identity.
Todd Robinson, Constable Humphris partner, told Singh his crimes left him at a loss, with no motivation to be around people, unemployable and with his dreams dashed.
Your actions on that day and in the days leading up to it didnt just kill my partner, it destroyed my life and my trust in people, Mr Robinson said.
The four officers were preparing to arrest Richard Pusey after pulling over his Porsche for speeding. Pusey was urinating at the side of the road and was uninjured. He filmed the aftermath on his mobile phone before leaving.
Pusey on Wednesday pleaded guilty to outraging public decency and other charges for filming the critically-injured officers. He remains in custody awaiting a plea hearing on March 31.
Singh has pleaded guilty to four counts of culpable driving causing death, three of drug trafficking and other charges.
In the four days before the crash, Singh sold and used drugs with others, some of whom urged him to rest.
One user drove Singh to a drug deal because the truckie was so tired. The man told Singh he would kill someone if [you dont] get some sleep.
Mohinder Singh leave the Supreme Court on Thursday.Credit:Nine News
Another man told police: I had never seen anyone as drug f—ed in my life. He hadnt slept for eight days.
Over those days, Singh also separately spoke to an associate and his son about seeing a witch, who he claimed wouldnt get out of his passenger seat.
It was this chick that he said cursed him, an associate told investigators.
After his arrest Singh told police he shouldnt have been made to work.
I didnt want to work cause I was sleepy and tired, he said.
The father of two from Cranbourne remains in custody and his lawyer will address the court on Friday.
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Adam Cooper joined The Age in 2011 after a decade with AAP. Email or tweet Adam with your news tips.
Simone is a crime reporter for The Age. Most recently she covered breaking news for The Age, and before that for The Australian in Melbourne.
