Police have charged an officer with reckless conduct endangering life, after he allegedly travelled up to 230km/h to help an injured colleague who had been struck by a car on the side of a freeway.

The crash occurred in March last year, less than a year after four Victoria Police officers were killed in similar circumstances on the side of the Eastern Freeway at Kew. The injured officer spent a night in hospital with bruising.

In recent weeks, Leading Senior Constable Bradley Beecroft – a highway patrol officer and policeman of 16 years – was served with four charges including travelling at 230 km/h on the Hume Freeway while on duty and en-route to the collision site at Euroa, north of Melbourne.

The leading senior constable, who says he carries the gold class licence that exempts holders from the speed limit, says he plans to fight the charges, which he believes could have ramifications for other emergency service workers who are also required to travel at speed to urgent jobs.

The leading senior constable was recorded at reaching a top speed of 230km/h.Credit:Paul Rovere

“Emergency services are currently being criticised for taking too long to attend jobs. I’m being criticised for getting there too fast,” he said.

Documents seen by The Age show police allege the leading senior constable was on duty with another member, travelling in the same police car, when the pair were notified a fellow officer had possibly been injured when his car was hit on the Hume Freeway on March 21, 2021.

That officer had pulled over on the side of the freeway to attend to an incident when his vehicle was struck while he was inside and, initially, the extent of his injuries wasn’t clear.

Beecroft and his colleague in the car were the closest unit. According to the in-car camera, he turned his lights and sirens on before engaging in “urgent duty driving”. Soon after a fixed speed camera allegedly clocked the highway patrol officer travelling at 207 km/h in a 110 km/h zone.

When he reached the scene of the crash, investigators say the accused attended to his injured colleague who subsequently spent the night in hospital.

An internal police investigation later found Beecroft allegedly engaged in “urgent duty driving” for seven minutes along an 8.7-kilometre stretch of freeway, overtaking 77 vehicles.

During that time he allegedly reached a top speed of 230 km/h and an average speed of 205 km/h.

Police allege the accused’s actions placed others, including the colleague in his car, in danger.

Beecroft was interviewed about his driving in December. Documents show he told investigators he felt he’d driven appropriately for the conditions and his qualifications, believing up to two police officers may have been injured on the roadside.

He told investigators, during the same interview, that given “recent events” he was looking at the traffic and conditions and not his speed.

In April 2020, four Victoria Police members died on the side of the Eastern Freeway at Kew after being hit by a truck where they had pulled over for a job.

Documents show other police units who attended the Euroa accident site also travelled above the speed limit. Investigators found the five other police units reached speeds of between 141 km/h and 166.9 km/h. Of those, three were general duties units and two were highway patrol units.

Beecroft, who is being represented by Robinson Gill Lawyers, is due to face court on Monday on charges including reckless conduct endangering life, reckless conduct endangering serious injury, drive in a manner dangerous and exceeding the speed limit.

Reckless conduct endangering life carries a maximum sentence of 10 years imprisonment.

A Victoria Police spokeswoman said while there are no speed restrictions for police officers who hold a gold class driving authority, “drivers must still travel in a reasonable and safe manner that does not endanger themselves or the public”.

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