By Mitchell Clarke
A Pakenham man has been charged with an array of offences following a horror high speed crash which brought the Monash Freeway to a standstill.
Police believe the 21-year-old driver had been seen driving erratically, speeding down the emergency lane of the busy freeway when he clipped the back of a truck and lost control under the Belgrave-Hallam Road in Narre Warren.
The incident, which occurred at about 7.30am on Sunday 8 March, closed a portion of the Monash Freeway for a number of hours.
A 20-year-old Pakenham man, who was the passenger in the vehicle, was airlifted to The Alfred hospital in a critical condition with an upper body injury.
It’s understood he remains in hospital and his condition has since been downgraded to stable.
Narre Warren police arrested the driver at the scene and later charged him with nine offences including negligently causing serious injury, dangerous driving, conduct endangering life, driving in a dangerous manner and driving at a dangerous speed.
It’s understood the driver continued to provide headaches for police, who said he was uncooperative in custody.
He was also charged with refusing a preliminary oral fluid test, refusing an evidentiary breath test and refusing a blood sample.
The driver was remanded in custody and will front the Dandenong Magistrates Court on Tuesday 10 March.
