Mangrove Mountain: Truck driver Jeffery Sankey pleads not guilty to dangerous driving death of Soula Catsaitis
An elderly truck driver has entered a plea for the first time over the alleged dangerous driving death of a beloved wife, mother and grandmother on the Central Coast. Read what happened in court.
Central Coast
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A truck driver will face a trial next year after pleading not guilty to driving dangerously when he was involved in a fatal crash at Mangrove Mountain last year.
Jeffery Michael Sankey, 70, of Empire Bay, faced Gosford District Court on Thursday where he was arraigned on a single count of dangerous driving occasioning death.
Dressed in a dark suit Sankey stood in the dock when the charge was read out and replied “not guilty”.
Sankey was also charged with a backup offence of negligent driving occasioning death after the crash but this count was not included on the indictment certified for the District Court.
It comes more than a year after emergency services were called to reports of a collision between a Mack prime mover and a Toyota LandCruiser on Wisemans Ferry Rd, Mangrove Mountain, about 3.20pm on Friday, January 19, 2024.
The driver of the LandCruiser, who was later identified as beloved wife, mother and grandmother Soula “Sue” Catsaitis, 56, died at the scene.
A crime scene was established as specialist officers attached to the Crash Investigation Unit commenced inquiries into the circumstances surrounding the crash.
Sankey was taken to hospital for mandatory blood and urine tests, which returned negative results for drugs or alcohol.
His solicitor Christopher Murnane has previously told the court his client was diagnosed with bladder cancer and a medical report indicated he may have “suffered a blackout immediately before the collision”.
The trial was set down for April 20 next year with a five-day estimate.
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