Truck driver Daniel Luke Barry stands trial accused of driving dangerously when he struck and killed cyclist Daryl Adams
A truck driver hit a cyclist riding on a country road so hard the bike shattered and the rider came to rest more than 60m from where he was struck, suffering fatal injuries, a jury has heard. The driver did not stop and is now standing trial.
Mount Gambier
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A truck driver who hit and killed a cyclist on a rural stretch of road in the state’s South East called his boss in the hours after he fled the crash site and said, “I’m going to jail, I think I’ve killed someone,” a jury has heard.
Daniel Luke Barry, 38, is standing trial in Mount Gambier, accused of driving dangerously and causing the death of cyclist Daryl Adams, 60, in January 2019.
In his opening to the jury, prosecutor Kos Lesses said it was not in dispute that Barry was driving the truck that hit and killed Mr Adams.
Rather, it was whether Barry had failed to maintain a proper lookout while driving on the Princes Highway.
At 7.45am on January 17, 2019, Mr Adams and his friend Peter Little were cycling on the highway about 40km from Kingston SE.
The pair were entering the third day of a cycling holiday and were heading towards Murray Bridge. The weather was slightly overcast but mostly dry and Mr Adams had a flashing red light on the rear of his bike.
Barry had left Mount Gambier around 5.30am that morning in a semi-trailer, bound for Clarence Garden where he would switch trailers and then head home via Naracoorte.
The jury heard evidence from major crash investigator Brevet Sergeant Kylie Peters who said Mr Adams had been travelling close to the white line on the side of the road when he was hit by the truck.
The force of the impact shattered Mr Adams’ expensive bike, separating it into three parts. Brevet Sergeant Peters said Mr Adams first hit the ground 35m from initial impact and came to rest 3m off the road, 63m from where he was struck.
The front part of the bike was found 38m from the first impact while the back of the bike was 84m down the road.
Barry kept on driving after the crash, stopping at Meningie before continuing to Adelaide. He arrived back in Naracoorte about 4.20pm.
The jury heard that Barry had told his boss that he was the one who killed the cyclist.
The boss told him to call police. Mr Lesses said phone records would show that Barry called the owner of the truck and said, “You’ve got to get a new driver, I’m going to jail, I think I’ve killed someone.”
At 4.44pm he called police.
“I’m the person who hit the cyclist this morning,” he said.
“I didn’t know I got him, I didn’t even hear nothing. It was early in the morning I had my music going, I didn’t even know I got anything, I didn’t see him or nothing.”
Barry was arrested by major crash officers and charged with causing death by dangerous driving as well as driving without due care.
He pleaded guilty to the lesser charge but denied he had been driving dangerously. The trial continues.