A drunk learner driver who killed a pedestrian in a high speed crash fled to India on a false passport hours after reporting for bail, police claim.
Puneet Puneet had a blood alcohol reading of 0.165 when he crashed his car into Gold Coast student Dean Hofstee, 19, in central Melbourne last October.
He was to face the Victorian County Court on Thursday after pleading guilty to culpable driving, despite blaming the crash on a cat.
But Puneet, 19, failed to front court and Judge Lisa Hannan issued a warrant for his arrest.
Police believe Puneet left Australia on the passport of fellow Indian student Sukhcharanjit Singh, on a 3.50pm flight to New Delhi on June 12, three hours after reporting for bail.
Shortly after Puneet, of Newport, was due to front court on Thursday, police arrested and charged Singh with providing his passport to Puneet.
In court documents, police allege Singh, 20, provided Puneet with his Indian passport knowing Puneet could use it to travel.
Singh, 20, of Reservoir, appeared briefly in the Melbourne Magistrates Court and made no application for bail.
He was remanded in custody to appear in the same court for committal mention on November 12.
Mr Hofstee's family had travelled to Victoria from Queensland for Puneet's hearing hoping for some closure.
Outside court, Mr Hofstee's brother Quinton and father Peter said they would continue to pursue justice.
"I think Dean would like justice," Quinton Hofstee told reporters.
"If it was him in that position he would have stood up and taken responsibility for his actions."
Peter Hofstee said it was his belief that Puneet had fled to India.
"He is in India. I think he is in India," he said.
"I would certainly hope the Australian and Indian authorities co-operate to bring him back."
Police said at a previous court hearing that Puneet, a Victorian Institute of Culinary Arts and Technology cookery student, recorded a 0.165 blood-alcohol reading after the crash.
He was estimated to be travelling at almost 150km/h when he lost control of his vehicle in the 60km/h zone on City Road at Southbank.
Mr Hofstee and a second student, Clancy Coker, 20, who was seriously injured in the crash, were in Melbourne for the Australian Universities Games.
In an interview with News Limited papers a few days after the crash, Puneet blamed a cat for the crash.
"My eyes were sore and they were closed and when they opened a cat came onto the road and I lost control," Puneet said.
In the interview, he admitted to drinking four scotch and Cokes, but denied he was travelling at 150km/h.
AAP
