Former Premier Dan Andrews pressed to hand over phone records
The father of a teenager critically injured by a car driven by Dan Andrews’ wife is calling for the former Victorian Premier to comply with a Supreme Court order for his phone records.
Ryan Meuleman suffered severe injuries, including a punctured lung and broken ribs, after being struck by the car while riding his bike in Blairgowrie in 2013.
Despite previous investigations clearing Andrews of wrongdoing, questions have arisen about his actions immediately following the accident. Andrews did not call emergency services until four minutes after the crash, at 1.10 pm.
This is the car Dan Andrews drove his kids home in while Ryan Meuleman's life was being saved by ambos. He left the scene of an accident, tampered with evidence and drove a clearly unroadworthy vehicle with the blessing of police. No explanation or justification has been offered pic.twitter.com/LORZOe5lLf
— David Southwell (@SubinthePub) June 18, 2024
Speaking to Sky News, Peter Meuleman, Ryan’s father, challenged Andrews' refusal to produce his phone records:
“If you’ve got nothing to hide, you'd be transparent about all of those records. But if you've got something to hide, then you're going to fight to disclose those records,” he stated.
The victim’s family is seeking clarity on the moments after the crash, believing the phone records are crucial. Andrews has hired lawyer Leon Zwier to contest the subpoena, describing the demand as a “fishing expedition.”
Peter Meuleman disputes this claim, citing new evidence such as the timing of the emergency call and the lack of a breathalyser test on Andrews or his wife.
He also criticised Andrews for moving the car from the scene, which he believes compromised the investigation.
Andrews defended his actions, using the excuse that he drove the car home to calm his children. However, Peter Meuleman emphasised that the children were witnesses to the accident, making their accounts important.
The Meuleman family has launched a GoFundMe campaign to cover legal expenses, hoping for justice and closure. Peter Meuleman highlighted the mental trauma his son endured, stating:
“The injuries that he sustained were terrible, but you do recover from those physical injuries. It's probably been the mental injuries that he has sustained from that – he was incredibly traumatised from that accident.”
He also mentioned that Ryan was warned against discussing the incident, which he believes further silenced his son.
The family is determined to pursue the case despite the financial strain, aiming for transparency and justice.