‘Totally avoidable’: Wife of trucker Neville ‘Slim’ Mugridge killed in horror Eyre Highway crash’s fight to make roads safer

Delphine Mugridge says the government needs to step in to change licensing rules to prevent more deaths like her husband’s.

The wife of a beloved truckie killed in a horror two-truck crash on the Eyre Highway at Yalata last month is fighting for stricter licensing regulations for Australia’s deadliest industry.

Delphine Mugridge’s husband Neville, 77, was one of three truck drivers who lost their lives in the tragedy and has started a petition calling for heavy vehicle licenses to require more experience which has over 15,000 signatures.

She said her husband’s death was “totally avoidable” and didn’t want to see other truckies lose their lives on the job.

“I don’t want Neville to have died in vain,” she said.

“Everybody that goes to work has the right to come home and this was an avoidable accident.

“There’s drivers on the road who aren’t experienced, the roads not being up to scratch, there’s lots of things and the government needs to do something about it.”

Neville 'Slim' Mugridge beside his truck. Picture: Supplied

Slim spent over fifty years in the trucking industry. Picture: Supplied

Better known as Slim, Neville had been driving trucks for over fifty years and had a “heart of gold” and “diesel in his veins” instead of blood, Mrs Mugridge, 74, said.

“He was a bit rough around the edges but he had a heart of gold.

“He had a good, kind heart and was a good friend, he would have helped anybody that was in need.

“And he had a good sense of humour, he was very passionate about his football club and the Crows and would get into a bit of banter with one of the guys at the pub but it was all in good fun.”

The Smithfield couple’s love story began back in 1966 in their home state Queensland, where they met as teenagers in Brisbane.

They eventually separated, going on to marry other people years later with Slim moving to South Australia in 1972 while Delphine stayed in Queensland.

In 2014 they rekindled their romance after Delphine placed an ad in a local paper in the hopes of reconnecting with her soulmate.

Delphine with late husband, truck driver Neville Mugridge. Picture: Supplied

Slim lived with dyslexia and didn’t read the newspaper but as fate would have it, a friend saw the message and brought them together.

Delphine flew down to visit Slim for a few weeks but never left with the two getting married on her 70th birthday.

Since losing her husband, Ms Mugridge has been fighting for change to prevent other families from experiencing the same heartbreak and is preparing to present her petition to parliament.

With road and rail drivers accounting for the most deaths of any occupation across the country, she hopes it will “stop the carnage on the road” so it never happens again.

“A huge number of drivers are considering hanging up their boots wondering who will be next to die.

“Inexperienced drivers are causing near misses and fatal accidents far too often.”

You can sign the petition, here.