Calder Fwy crash: Veteran truckie drug and alcohol tested after huge crash kills two-year-old girl

The daughter of a veteran truck driver involved in a horror crash in Melbourne that left a two-year-old girl dead has spoken out.

The daughter of the truckie involved in a fatal Melbourne freeway pileup has spoken publicly for the first time since the horror smash.

Matt Livingston was questioned by police for five hours before being released following the incident on Melbourne’s Calder Fwy left a two-year-old girl dead.

The company he works for, Hendy Transport, will also be investigated, with police to begin trawling through the driver’s work records.

Truck driver Matt Livingston was involved in the Calder Freeway crash.

His daughter Courtney Livingston said the 42-year-old veteran truck driver only drank occasionally and had never touched a drug in his life.

“I would be surprised if he can survive his own mental health after this – it’s an absolute tragedy,” Ms Livingston told Nine News.

“A car swerved in front of him as shown on dashcam footage. It’s much more difficult for a fully loaded truck to break than a normal car.”

A toddler was killed in the tragic truck crash on Monday. Picture: Channel 9.

Police are also investigating whether drugs, alcohol or fatigue could have been a factor.

Major collision investigation unit detectives are examining the fatal smash at Diggers Rest on Monday, when a semi-trailer carrying grain rolled over multiple cars near the Bulla Rd overpass.

Confronting dashcam footage that surfaced overnight showed a car swerve into another lane seconds before the truck slammed into multiple cars, resulting in devastating wreckage on the side of the road.

A two-year-old Caulfield South girl, who was in the rear seat of a car carrying a young family of four, died at the scene.

The girl’s 37-year-old mother remains in intensive care in a serious but stable condition, while her father is still in a critical condition.

Her one-year-old sibling and a 62-year-old man in a separate car were both discharged from hospital.

Police believe the truck collided with multiple vehicles on the freeway at the Diggers Rest – Bulla Rd overpass just after 2.30pm on Monday. Picture: Channel 9.

Meanwhile, Melbourne road users have been warned of a worrying post-lockdown trend: heavy vehicle motorists and car drivers seemingly ignorant of each other on the road.

Victorian Transport Association chief executive Peter Anderson said the shift could be attributed to countless motorists returning to the road after heavy travel restrictions.

Melbourne’s traffic has almost returned to pre-lockdown levels. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Ian Currie

“Something I’ve noticed of late, coming back from Covid, is the lack of awareness of other vehicles on the roads by other drivers, whether they be heavy vehicle drivers or other drivers,” he told 3AW.

“Being aware of other road users is most important.

“One of the common issues with heavy vehicles are the gaps taken up in front of the vehicle as the traffic slows down, and the driver goes into panic mode trying to stop his truck.”

Traffic across the city is increasing, with Department of Transport data showing a surge in the number of vehicles at major intersections.

There was 96 per cent of pre-Covid traffic on the road on November 30.

Originally published as Calder Fwy crash: Veteran truckie drug and alcohol tested after huge crash kills two-year-old girl