Brendon Lidgard’s diabetes discussed before court during trial after Menangle rest stop fatality

A truckie who believed his diabetic episode could have led to a fatal collision on a major highway had a “cavalier approach’’ to managing his condition, a court has heard in a judge-only trial.

Truck driver Brendon Paul Lidgard, who believed an hyperglycaemic diabetic seizure could have caused him to plough into a rest stop at Menangle, killing an eight-year-old girl, was not “forthcoming” about how he managed the condition, a court has heard.

At Parramatta District Court on Tuesday, the prosecution outlined the insulin-dependant diabetic’s medical history with the condition he was diagnosed with as an 18 year old, alleging that he took a “cavalier approach” to treating it.

The Moss Vale man told police during an interview played before the court he could not recall the crash on July 10, 2020, but believed he had a diabetic episode after allegedly mounting a median strip on the Hume Highway, hitting a tree, a sign and a picnic table before crashing into three parked cars and killing the child at the Partridge VC Rest Area.

He has pleaded not guilty to a string of charges including dangerous driving occasioning death.

The court heard how he failed to remember the collision and said his last memory was at the Narellan Rd underpass seven minutes before but he felt fine while driving the Boral truck.

Ahead of the 3pm crash, he dosed up on six units of insulin at Uncle Leo’s Roadhouse at The Crossroads, Glenfield, because he ate Chinese leftovers, a Chiko roll, an orange, lamb chops, a muesli bar, some fruit cake and couple of jelly beans through the day, and he intended to drink alcohol that night.

The court heard how he told police the collision could have occurred because of the extra dose and he could manage his condition better.

Crown prosecutor Monika Knowles told the court his failure to check his blood sugar levels before injecting insulin at Uncle Leo’s was nothing short of a “cavalier approach particularly when he had means to him to test himself”.

Brendon Lidgard is on trial after fighting multiple charges including dangerous driving occasioning death.

The rest stop after the crash. Picture: Jeremy Piper

“If the alcohol was the focus, the insulin could have been taken after he finished driving his truck and before consuming the alcohol,’’ she said.

She said he had “hypoglycaemic unawareness that exacerbated the risk” of dangerous driving.

The court heard how the father had received education about his diabetes, which he had for 27 years before the fatality but testing “was an occasional event” for him.

He was treated by a GP 16 years ahead of the crash but saw an endocrinologist for seven years after his diagnosis, attending 17 appointments.

His type 1 diabetes led him to hospital in 1999 and in March 2008, he was told to monitor his blood sugar levels four times a day.

He was also treated at Bowral Hospital after he gave himself the wrong dose.

Ms Knowles went on to say he spontaneously administered insulin and was not always upfront about taking too much.

“There are instances in his history where he over-ingested insulin and he’s not really been forthcoming with that,’’ she told the court.

“Some (over-ingestions) involved going to hospital which was not an insignificant event, one would think.’’

He also signed a document with Boral three years ago when he did not declare that he had suffered hypoglycaemic episodes three months before.

The trial before Judge Andrew Colefax continues.

MORE NEWS

Camden Council considers planning proposal for hotel next to Narellan Town Centre

‘Canteen Queen’ Brooke Flanagan opens 12th location at Thomas Reddall High School