Man arrested after pedestrian's body discovered on Morwell roadside
Police have interviewed a man following the discovery of a body on the side of a road in Morwell in eastern Victoria.
Police say a 40-year-old father from Traralgon was walking along the base of the Princes Way overpass on the Princes Freeway when he was likely struck by a vehicle.
His body was discovered at about 9am on Thursday by a commuter.
Sergeant Mark Amos of the Major Collision Investigation Unit told the ABC the deceased man's body could have been lying in the grass for eight hours.
"He's been found next to the barrier with injuries consistent with being hit by a vehicle," he said.
Detectives searched the scene for evidence for most of Thursday.
A 28-year-old Lakes Entrance man was arrested 128 kilometres away in Bairnsdale late on Thursday afternoon and has been interviewed by police.
He has been released without charge pending further enquiries.
Police are calling on people who were driving in the area between 1am and 9am on Thursday, May 22, to come forward with information that may be of interest.
They are also asking anyone with road-facing CCTV to look through the footage.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
ABC News
30 minutes ago
- ABC News
WA government apologises to family of Cleveland Dodd at inquest into his death
WARNING: This story discusses incidents of self-harm and contains the name and image of an Indigenous person who has died. The WA government has formally apologised to the family of Cleveland Dodd, whose death was the state's first recorded fatality in youth detention. Cleveland was 16 when he died after self-harming inside Unit 18 — a youth detention facility hurriedly set up inside maximum-security Casuarina Prison. An inquest probing his death began more than a year ago, and today heard closing submissions from lawyers on behalf of those involved in the case. Through its lawyer, the WA Justice Department apologised for its failings "connected with Cleveland's death". They said there had been "great change" in youth detention since and its Commissioner expressed "regret and remorse" for what had happened. Grant Donaldson SC is representing Christine Ginbey, who was the deputy commissioner for women and young people at the time of Cleveland's death. He told the court "there could be no doubt there was a staffing problem at Unit 18" which contributed to young people getting minimal time out of their cells. The inquest had earlier heard that in Cleveland's final 86 days in detention, he was allowed outside in the yard for a total of only four hours and 10 minutes — an average of less than three minutes a day. But he said staffing was an "extraordinarily complex issue" and that it was difficult to get people to work in jails and detention centres as required skills were difficult to train. Mr Donaldson also said his client should not be blamed for inaccuracies in a promotional video she recorded about how Unit 18 would operate, because they had been drafted by a strategic communications professional and checked by the then-director general. Earlier, before Mr Donaldson made his arguments, Cleveland's mother Nadene said she had to walk out of court because "the recapping of the horrific neglect of my son was inhumane beyond words". "It was both barbarous and criminal," she said. "If people are not held to lawful account then justice will have been denied." Her lawyer Stephen Penglis SC had told the court Ms Dodd wanted the Justice Department to implement all recommendations made by the coroner to minimise the chance of another young person taking their life in detention. Mr Penglis said the small amount of time Cleveland spent outside of his cell amounted to "cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment". He water was not given to Cleveland on the night he died despite his repeated requests, and that his threats of self-harm were not taken seriously. Because hatches in cell doors had been welded shut, providing water required "breaching" the cell, which needed the permission of the senior officer overnight. Mr Penglis said on the night Cleveland self-harmed, the officer on duty's refusal to do so was an "unreasonable, egregious and inexcusable failure" to provide a "human right". But Edward Greaves, representing that officer, Kyle Mead-Hunter, rejected those suggestions, saying his client had been told Cleveland was given extra water with dinner and that he did not recall any staff asking him to authorise further providing further water. "To try and blame this on one person and to blame it on Mr Mead-Hunter does not pass the test, in our submission." Mr Greaves had earlier accepted an adverse finding would be made against Mr Mead-Hunter for not wearing his radio on the night, which meant the officer who found Cleveland had to walk to Mr Mead-Hunter's office to get a key to unlock him. He said Mr Mead-Hunter "was failed by the system" and that "he learnt how the unit ran at night time from the [youth custodial officers] he was supposed to be leading". The Aboriginal Legal Service's lawyer Julian McMahon told the court the situation in youth detention prior to Cleveland's death had deteriorated because all levels of the department had been ready "to accept what is clearly, what was clearly, unacceptable". "We mustn't become immune to the horror of that concept, that a boy with some disability, with serious difficulties, was actually in solitary confinement for the last few months of his life," she said. Mr McMahon said there had been warnings about the issues at Unit 18 from when it opened and many of the first detainees there were recorded as self-harming. "What that tells you … is at that at that time and in hindsight without doubt, enormous resources were required and it tells you that without that enormous effort which did not eventuate Unit 18 was destined to and indeed did fail as a project," he said.
ABC News
43 minutes ago
- ABC News
NSW Police declare Hannah Thomas's injury during protest arrest a 'critical incident'
An investigation into how a 35-year-old woman was physically harmed while being placed under arrest at a pro-Palestinian protest will begin after NSW Police declared the situation a critical incident. On June 27, Hannah Thomas — who ran for the seat of Grayndler in the 2025 federal election — sustained severe injuries to her right eye when she was arrested while at a protest in south-west Sydney. The former Greens candidate was one of roughly 60 people, according to NSW Police, protesting outside a manufacturing facility in Belmore. The protesters allege the facility is supplying components used in a type of jet flown by the Israel Defence Force. The company, SEC Plating, has denied these claims. According to NSW Police, after two move on directions were issued to those at the protest, including Ms Thomas, the 35-year-old was subsequently arrested for "allegedly failing to comply". One witness who spoke to the ABC on the condition of anonymity said Ms Thomas was hit in the face when officers attempted to get her onto her feet. Videos of the protest show a woman being dragged away from the group of protesters before falling to the ground with an officer. In the same video, officers can be heard saying, "Get up now", with a woman replying "I'm trying". "I was engaged in peaceful protests and my interactions with NSW Police have left me potentially without vision in my right eye permanently," Ms Thomas said in a video while in Bankstown Hospital on Sunday night. According to NSW Police, the decision to declare this a critical incident came on Monday afternoon, after Ms Thomas's medical records were provided to the force's designated medical officer. NSW Police said, after received, it was determined that the level of the injuries warranted a critical incident declaration, with the suggestion actioned by Assistant Commissioner Brett McFadden. A critical incident is an event involving a NSW Police officer that results in the death or serious injury of a person, with police required to investigate once declared. A designated team pulled from Campbelltown City Police Area Command will now investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident, which in turn will be reviewed by the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission. It is currently not known when the investigation will begin. The announcement follows four days of controversy over Ms Thomas's arrest, with federal and NSW Greens members condemning what happened. It also comes one day after Ms Thomas was charged by police for resisting arrest and refusing to comply with officers. She is scheduled to appear at Bankstown Local Court on August 12.
ABC News
an hour ago
- ABC News
Richmond star Tom Lynch sent directly to AFL Tribunal after strike on Jordon Butts
Richmond forward Tom Lynch is facing a lengthy suspension after being referred directly to the AFL Tribunal for his strike on Adelaide's Jordon Butts. Lynch's second-quarter blow to Butts's head was graded as intentional conduct with severe impact and high contact by the AFL's Match Review Officer, Michael Christian. An early plea is not available to the 32-year-old, who will face the Tribunal on Tuesday night. Lynch was also handed a pair of fines for two separate incidents that took place in Richmond's 68-point loss to Adelaide at the MCG on Sunday. He was offered $3,125 for engaging in a melee/wrestle and $1,500 for striking. The fines can be reduced to $1,875 and $1,000, respectively, if Lynch takes an early plea. Lynch has previously denied suggestions he is overzealous with his on-field aggression, due to only being suspended for a total of two weeks since making his debut in 2011. That total is now likely to be doubled at the very least. Despite his lack of previous suspensions, Lynch has toed the line on numerous occasions throughout his career and is no stranger to a Tribunal hearing. Lynch faced the Tribunal earlier this season in a bid to have a one-match suspension overturned for a high hit on Carlton's Tom De Koning, but was unsuccessful. He was sent directly to the Tribunal in 2023 after a collision with then-Bulldogs defender Alex Keath, an incident that left Keath concussed, but had the rough conduct charge dismissed. The Tribunal also cleared Lynch of striking Essendon's Michael Hurley during a match in 2020. Richmond coach Adem Yze revealed Lynch apologised to his teammates after giving away five free kicks in the first half of the loss to the Crows, and Lynch admitted he was frustrated by the amount of contact Adelaide's defenders had gotten away with. "I was just more frustrated with how he was defending me, I thought," Lynch told Channel 7. "Clearly it [Butts's actions] was within the rules because there were no free kicks awarded to me and I went outside the rules. "I've got to be better."
