Meth-using truckie‘s nap time causes highway pileup

“I hit the bridge and it woke me up”: A truckie on meth who fell asleep at the wheel caused highway chaos when he swerved onto the wrong side of the road.

Truck driver Bradley David McQuillan, Raceview, outside the Ipswich Courthouse on October 13, 2022. Picture: Nicola McNamara

An Ipswich truck driver has faced sentence for a Brisbane Valley Highway pileup, triggered when he fell asleep at the wheel, with methamphetamine in his system, and swerved into oncoming traffic.

Bradley David McQuillan, 38, pleaded guilty in Ipswich Magistrate’s Court on October 13, 2022, to driving without due care and attention, possession of utensils or pipes that had been used, and driving while a relevant drug was present in his saliva.

The court heard that on July 22, 2022, around 1.43pm, Mr McQuillan was driving a light truck along the Brisbane Valley Highway in Wanora.

Mr McQuillan fell asleep at the wheel, and the truck crossed over the double solid lines into oncoming traffic.

One car quickly swerved to avoid him, but crashed into an embankment.

The truck continued forward, colliding with another car and pushing it backwards off the road, before finally colliding with a barrier and coming to a stop.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Brad Dick said a witness said he “saw cars going off both sides of the road. The truck in front of him had to break hard, resulting in himself having to break hard as well to avoid a collision”.

“[The witness] spoke with the defendant, who told him ‘I nodded off … I didn’t know I hit anyone. I hit the bridge and it woke me up’,” he continued.

Sergeant Dick said Mr McQuillan told the police he had been driving from Toowoomba since 4.30am and said his fatigue caused the crash.

His saliva later tested positive for methamphetamine.

Brisbane Valley Highway collision scene on July 22, 2022. Picture: Tom Dever

“This is a particularly serious example of driving without due care and attention,” said Sergeant Dick.

“It appears to be by good luck not by good management that people weren’t more seriously injured or worse.“

Sergeant Dick said the police had also found a glass pipe in a sunglasses case in Mr McQuillan’s truck, and said it was particularly concerning that the drug utensil was found inside the vehicle.

Magistrate Robert Walker noted one of the other drivers suffered minor injuries and that it was clear from the photographs at the scene that the collision caused extensive damage to the other vehicles.

Defence lawyer Emily Fackender noted Mr McQuillan had no criminal history and limited traffic history, and said he had been cooperative with the police.

“He recognises that he is extraordinarily lucky that there weren’t more serious injuries caused and is extremely thankful for that,” she said.

For the possession of utensils charge, Mr McQuillan was fined $200 and no convictions were recorded.

He was further convicted and fined $1000 for the two traffic offences, referred to SPER, and disqualified from obtaining or holding a licence for four months.