A New Zealand man has been charged with murder after allegedly pushing a fellow driver onto a busy Brisbane motorway.
Tamata Henry Heke was due to return home to be married next week. Instead he will spend his wedding day in jail.
Heke sat in shock after allegedly pushing another man into traffic and to his death.
Police allege he got in an argument with another driver. They stopped their cars on the Gateway Motorway south of Brisbane and both got out.
Witnesses say they started pushing each other and punches were thrown before the 50-year-old man was pushed onto the road and into the path of a City Council rubbish truck. He died instantly, leaving the truck driver in shock.
"He's naturally very, very upset," says Inspector Greg Verveis of the Brisbane police. "He did everything within his power to avoid the situation."
Dash camera footage from the truck captured the entire incident, prompting police to charge Heke with murder.
"Fortunately there's very good footage from the truck involved," says Insp Verveis. "And those versions from the witnesses and the footage will play a major part in helping us understand what occurred here."
Heke appeared in court this morning. His fiancée flew from New Zealand overnight to support him.
"He's never really been in trouble with the police, so it's devastating for him and his family," says lawyer Adam Magill.
He was due to return home next week to get married.
"It's devastating," says Mr Magill. "His family is just devastated. It's going to be a bit of a long road, they know that."
It's a long road that could end with him spending 20 years behind bars.
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