Liverpool truckie Minh Thien Ho jailed for Bulli Pass crash
A Liverpool truckie who admitted to being on ice at the time of a horrific crash at Bulli Pass earlier this year has been jailed.
Illawarra Star
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A Liverpool truck driver who admitted to being high on ice at the time of a horrific crash at Bulli Pass has been sentenced to at least nine months behind bars.
Minh Thien Ho caused chaos on the busy road on March 25, when his 25-tonne freight truck collided with a power pole, parked car and concrete barrier before bursting into flames.
The 30-year-old faced Wollongong Local Court on Friday, where he was sentenced to 12 months jail with a non-parole period of nine months.
The court heard that just over one month after the fiery crash, Ho was caught driving under the influence of ice again, after he was drug tested at a routine traffic stop in Liverpool.
Magistrate Michael Stoddart said Ho showed a disregard for other road users when he jumped behind the wheel after almost causing a fatality just weeks prior.
“You could have lost your life or taken someone else’s,” he said.
“This is about as serious as it gets without somebody being killed or seriously injured.”
At the time of the Bulli crash, Ho, who escaped with minor bumps and bruises, told police the incident was caused by failing brakes.
Court documents said Ho was travelling down Bulli Pass at a speed of 20km per hour, when his brake warning lights activated on his dashboard.
Ho said he tried to find a suitable place to park, but the majority of his brakes had failed, triggering the chaotic chain of events.
As Ho tried to swerve away from a vehicle travelling in front of him, he hit several power poles and a parked car. The truck then collided heavily with a concrete barrier in the middle of the road, and became airborne, separating the trailer from the vehicle.
The truck landed on its side and Ho was able to crawl out, before the vehicle exploded into flames.
As the truck flipped the barrier, a male driver travelling in the opposite direction slammed on his brakes and quickly reversed to avoid a collision with the truck, a move police at the time said saved his life.
Ho was taken to Wollongong Hospital after complaining of a sore arm, where court documents said he underwent a blood sample, which returned a positive reading for methamphetamine.
Court documents said the level of ice detected in Ho’s system was “to the extent that his driving would have been impaired”.
Ho apologised for the incident in court on Friday, saying he took “full responsibility” and was “very sorry”.
Magistrate Stoddart said while he had shown remorse, he should have taken his role as a truck driver a lot more seriously.
“There’s a tremendous responsibility on people driving large vehicles, particularly on the road you were on,” he said.
“It’s very steep and very dangerous and there’s been many fatalities on this road over the years.”
Magistrate Stoddart said the Liverpool man could have killed himself or others during the crash, and said jail time was the only reasonable option to ensure the safety of the community.
As well as spending nine months behind bars, Ho was disqualified from driving for three years and slapped with an $800 fine.
Ho’s partner burst into tears as he was taken into custody by corrective services officers. He will be eligible for parole on July 10 next year.