Menangle truck crash: Day two of Brendon Lidgard’s trial over Hume Highway fatal collision

The trial continues for a man after a truck ploughed into a group of people at a rest stop on the Hume Highway at Menangle. Read what happened in court.

A diabetic episode that caused a collision which killed a young girl was “unprecedented” and not a result of the driver mismanaging his health, a court has heard.

Brendon Paul Lidgard, 44, has pleaded not guilty to a string of charges, including dangerous driving occasioning death, over the collision at a rest stop on the Hume Highway at Menangle in July 2020.

Mr Lidgard’s truck ploughed into people standing at the Partridge Rest Area on the highway about 3pm, killing an eight-year-old girl and injuring four adults.

In outlining the defence’s case in the Campbelltown District Court on Thursday, barrister Simon Buchen said what happened was “entirely unprecedented” and Mr Lidgard had no memory of the crash.

Brendon Paul Lidgard is on trial after the fatal collision on the Hume Highway. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

“He was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes towards the end of his schooling when he was 17 years of age,” he said.

“By the time of the collision he had been a diabetic for almost three decades.

“I expect that the evidence will show the accused suffered from a rapid onset severe hypoglycaemic episode at some point during the southward drive from Narellan Rd before his truck entered the Frank Partridge Victoria Cross rest area. “

Mr Buchen said it is understood the prosecution do not dispute that Lidgard suffered a hypoglycaemic episode, that it started around the time the truck was observed to swerve and it continued up until at least the moment of impact which caused the injuries to the deceased and other victims.

He said by the time the truck entered the rest area Mr Lidgard “was no longer exercising voluntary control” over the vehicle.

“ … there was no evidence of any forceful braking or steering to evade the collisions …,” Mr Buchen said.

“In short the truck was not being controlled in any way at this stage ... and one witness in the rest area recalled that the accused was vigorously bouncing in the driver‘s seat of the truck.”

Mr Buchen said before the medical episode, Mr Lidgard did not drive in a dangerous manner.

He also refuted the Crown’s claim that by taking an extra dose of insulin before eating on a break, that Lidgard had mismanaged his condition, adding evidence would show that diabetics commonly and necessarily need to adjust insulin intake due to variable factors.

Crash scene on the Hume HWY Partridge VC Rest Area in Menangle were an 8 year old child was killed. Photo Jeremy Piper

“He had done this regularly without incident,” Mr Buchen said.

“There was some shortcomings in the way the accused managed his diabetes ... [but] he was not someone who ignored his condition.”

Mr Buchen said the defence would present evidence that there were “serious shortcomings” in the treatment and medical advice Mr Lidgard received for his medical condition.

He said Lidgard had an honest and reasonable belief it was safe for him to drive when he got behind the wheel.

“The case will be put that he would not have driven ... were it otherwise,” Mr Buchen said.

TRUCKIE TRIED TO RADIO SWERVING TRUCK

Sean Knight was the first witness called by the prosecution and he informed the court he had been working as a petrol tank driver on July 10, 2020 and was driving south along the Hume Highway.

He said the Boral truck - which Mr Lidgard was driving - first came to his attention near the Campbelltown Rd exit when it overtook him.

Further down the Hume Highway, Mr Knight saw the Boral truck veering into the emergency breakdown lane two or three times and then it started swerving into the right-hand lane.

Mr Knight told the court he jumped on the UHF radio to try and contact the driver two or three times.

“By the third time it was pretty obvious that something was terribly wrong,” he said.

Mr Knight said he then noticed the truck heading left towards the stop and thought “oh good” he’s pulling into the rest area.

But, then he saw the Boral truck enter the rest stop at “almost full speed”. Mr Knight said pulled into the rest area and parked his truck, before getting out.

“I noticed the truck driver was still in the truck … he looked pretty dazed and confused,” Mr Knight told the court.

“I asked him if he had nodded off or any health problems ... he didn’t verbally answer me, he just shook his head.”

In cross examination, Mr Knight was asked if he realised something was wrong with the way the truck was being driven to which he agreed.

“In your observation the truck wasn’t being properly controlled was it,” Mr Buchen asked.

“No,” Mr Knight agreed.

Brendon Paul Lidgard.

Mr Buchen asked if there was a particular channel that truck drivers are tuned into, and Mr Knight revealed it was channel 40.

Mr Knight said he was about half a kilometre behind the Boral truck when it entered the rest area and then he noticed a plume of dust.

“I thought when he went into the rest area that he was pulling into the rest stop and when I saw the puff of dust and saw that angle of the vehicle ... that was when I realised he was probably going pretty fast,” he told the court.

Mr Knight agreed that Mr Lidgard looked like “he was pretty much not there” when he saw him.

PHONE CALL WITH BEST MATE ‘CUT OUT’

Self-described “best mate” of Mr Lidgard, Kristian Fenwick, was the second witness to take to the stand on Thursday.

He told the court he spoke to Mr Lidgard on the day of the crash, and it was sometime after 2.45pm on July 10.

“I don’t recall him saying anything …. I just remember I was speaking to him,” Mr Fenwick said.

The conversation “wasn’t long” and Mr Fenwick said from memory it was because the phone call dropped out.

He said he tried to call back a couple times, and it connected once but only briefly.

Crash scene on the Hume HWY Partridge VC Rest Area in Menagle were an 8 year old child was killed. Photo Jeremy Piper

“I don’t remember exactly what he said ... he answered the phone ... I speak to the guy every day and the way he answered the phone was different,” Mr Fenwick said.

“Then straight away it cut out.”

Mr Fenwick found out what happened to Mr Lidgard later that afternoon from a mutual friend.

During cross-examination, Mr Fenwick agreed with Mr Buchen that he did not have a “particularly good memory” of the phone call as it was almost two years ago.

“It’s the case that you don’t really remember Brendon Lidgard responding to the conversation,” Mr Buchen said.

“Not at all,” Mr Fenwick replied.

“Is it possible that after Mr Lidgard said ‘hello’ you did all the talking and he said nothing,” Mr Buchen asked.

“Absolutely,” Mr Fenwick replied.

The trial continues at Campbelltown District Court on Friday before Judge Andrew Colefax.