Driving at low speed may have played a part in the death of a scooter rider hit by multiple cars, including a police vehicle, in an early morning incident on one of Australia's busiest motorways.
A white Kia sedan struck a scooter while merging on the M4 motorway at Merrylands in Sydney's west about 1.50am on Wednesday, causing the rider to fall on the road.
A Toyota Echo then struck the man, believed to be in his 20s or 30s, before a marked police car also hit the rider, NSW Police Assistant Commissioner Brett McFadden told reporters on Wednesday.
A ute also collided with the scooter after the rider had fallen off.
A food delivery bag attached to the scooter was seen in the wreckage but police say it is too early to confirm whether the man was a delivery driver as he has not been formally identified.
He is believed to have been driving below the speed limit and police are investigating whether a lack of speed contributed to the crash.
"The speed factor is usually associated with high speed but at this stage it's actually the opposite," Mr McFadden said.
The police car involved was returning to Granville Police Station and not displaying lights and sirens or attending an emergency.
CPR was administered by the officers until paramedics arrived but the man was pronounced dead in hospital.
Drivers involved in the crash, including the police officer, were taken to hospital for mandatory testing.
The involvement of a police car in the rider's death has led to a critical incident being declared that will be overseen by crash investigators and the independent police watchdog.
The incident caused chaos for morning commuters, with all four eastbound lanes remaining closed until about 9.30am, causing heavy traffic and delaying public transport.
