Trucker Looses his life trying to avoid a trailer which had become detached

Serious crash on Lonsdale Rd in southern suburbs

DOUG ROBERTSON

August 20, 2009 04:20pm

POLICE have appealed for witnesses to a crash which killed a man and injured two others at Lonsdale yesterday.

The Queesland man, 59, died when the truck he was driving rolled on Lonsdale Rd as he tried to avoid a trailer which had become detached from a Toyota utility.

The truck rolled near Hallett Cove about 3.50pm, causing two other vehicles to collide.

A seriously injured man and another, both with non-life threatening injuries, were taken to the Flinders Medical Centre.

A witness to the crash said the truck rolled when it swerved to miss a tandem trailer, thought to be towed by a Toyota Dyna utility on the south-bound lane of Lonsdale Rd.

"I just looked in the (rear vision) mirror and the truck rolled over," the witness said.

"I ran down and he was dead. I believe the trailer jack-knifed and the big truck swerved to miss it."

A large load of gravel spilled on the road and several drivers who witnessed the crashpulled up nearby.

The death takes the state's road toll to 80, compared with 54 at the same time last year.

Comments:

I drive a truck and I often see these large tandem trailers being towed behind a car or a ute, I shudder when I see them. Faulty indicators, brake lights not working, un-roadworthy condition. At 59 the driver of the semi would not have been too far off retirement, what a waste.

Posted by: Chris of Ferntree Gully, Vic 10:06pm today

matt the government cant sit in every car and tell people to put seatbelts on, dont drink drive, dont speed, dont use your mobile phone etc etc, its up to the people behind the wheel more than anything! it is sad to lose someone else, but sadly its going to keep happening. also, you would like to think that anyone who did witness the crash would have stopped and that police wouldnt have to ask for witnesses

Posted by: luke of adelaide 7:23pm today

I'm very sorry for the loss of this truck drivers family and friends. Yet another senseless death on our road. It truly highlights just how little our government is doing to save lives: "The death takes the state's road toll to 80, compared with 54 at the same time last year." Despite record high takings by "safety" cameras and millions in revenue related to street offences, not to mention the massive improvements in vehicle safety; the death toll continues to rise. The government uses street offences and "safety" cameras for revenue and nothing more. The argument that it "saves lives" is utter rubbish, with no evidence to support it whatsoever. Sure, there's the argument of "don't speed and you won't get caught", "don't drink drive and you won't get caught", but what happens once you have been caught and that money has been taken? Nothing. No driver education, no training, no meaningful road upgrades. Instead the state government spends millions on ripping up the road to replace it with a tram line and "fixing" (breaking) an otherwise functional road. The whole new south road system has done nothing to improve that area, has taken far too long and cost far too much. Real change in driver education is needed or we will continue to have pointless fatalities on the roads in ever increasing numbers.