Jesse Reid appeared in Latrobe Valley Magistrates Court on Monday, charged with culpable driving, causing the death Detective Senior Sergeant Victor Kostiuk, 59.

Mr Kostiuk was hit while motorcycling with his son, Detective Senior Sergeant Felix Kostiuk, near Orbost in the state's east on Friday.

The pair were riding just ahead of the Wall to Wall ride to the National Police Memorial in Canberra to honour fallen police members as part of a motorcade of 300.

During the ride at Cabbage Tree Creek, Victor Kostiuk was struck by a car that allegedly veered across the road, with the police member of nearly 40 years dying at the scene.

Major Collision Investigation Unit Detective Phil Frith told Latrobe Valley Magistrates Court Mr Reid had had one hour’s sleep when he decided to drive back on Friday.

Police allege Mr Reid, who was speeding, lost control of his car and slid onto the wrong side of the road as he approached a contigency of off-duty police officers on motorbikes coming in the opposite direction. 

Mr Reid, who has two prior drink-driving matters, stopped in Eden to smoke ice and drink beer before he got his 16-year-old friend to blow into an interlock device to start his Holden Commodore Acclaim, Detective acting Sergeant Frith said.

Victor Kostiuk was a "well respected" expert in the field of preventing family violence and had also worked in CIU and homicide.

Acting Chief Commissioner Shane Patton told reporters on Saturday some of his last words to Mr Kostiuk, as he left on the memorial ride, were "travel safely".

Reid, of Botanic Ridge, was denied bail and remanded to reappear in court on January 23.

Australian Associated Press