Senior Constable Timothy Lewczuk was the sort of bloke everyone knew, a friendly guy from a lovely family well known in Wyndham.
He was seemingly destined for a long career in the force.
But on May 10, 1997, on their way to a job, Tim and his partner pulled over a car on the Western Ring Road overpass at Ardeer.
As they got out to talk to the driver a car hit their patrol vehicle, throwing Tim 15 metres onto the road. He died at the scene.
As any parent who has lost a child will tell you, the pain doesn’t leave.
Certain days of the year are more difficult than others. Certain situations cause the memories to flood back.
In the lead-up to this year’s Blue Ribbon Day, which honours police officers killed in the line of duty, the Lewczuk family will find some solace in a major milestone.
For two years, the Westgate division of the Blue Ribbon Foundation has been raising funds for an upgrade of Western Hospital’s emergency department in Tim’s honour.
At the annual Blue Ribbon Foundation breakfast, the division announced it had raised the necessary $125,000. From walking the Kokoda Track to golf days, trivia nights and lunches, members chipped away at the target.
Over the years, 157 Victorian police officers have died in the line of duty. Thirty have been murdered, a figure that highlights the dangers they face on a daily basis.
On Blue Ribbon Day, September 29, please make a donation to help the foundation fund projects to remember fallen officers in
meaningful ways.
Emma Sutcliffe is a freelance writer on Facebook at ‘Little River Emma’.
