Bega: Truck company and driver charged after Brown Mountain crash

A truck driver and company have been charged after a two-vehicle crash, where they allegedly breached 232 heavy vehicle laws.

The crash occurred on the Brown Mountain.

A man and trucking company have been charged with a number of offences following a truck crash and an alleged 232 breaches of the Heavy Vehicle National Law on the south coast last month.

Emergency services were called to the Snowy Mountains Hwy at the Brown Mountain at 5.45pm on Wednesday, May 15 this year, following reports of a two-vehicle crash.

Police attended the scene and were told a truck had tipped onto its side before colliding with another vehicle.

The 48-year-old male truck driver was assessed by NSW Ambulance paramedics at the scene.

The 24-year-old male driver of the other vehicle was also assessed and was found to be uninjured.

Bega Local Court.

Officers attached to Traffic Operation Group attended and searched the truck, where they allegedly located cannabis and drug paraphernalia.

The driver of the truck was then subjected to a roadside drug test which allegedly returned a positive result.

He was arrested and taken to Bega Police Station where he allegedly returned a positive reading for methamphetamine and cannabis.

The 48-year-old underwent a second drug analysis and was issued a 24-hour driving ban, with police still awaiting results of the secondary drug test.

He was charged with two counts of solo driver work more than standard maximum time – minor risk, driver not record required information after starting work, driver not record odometer reading as prescribed, and driver not record prescribed info in written work diary.

He is set to appear in the Bega Local Court on Tuesday, July 9.

Following further inquiries, the trucking company was issued with a court attendance notice for two counts of fail to produce document for inspection, device for inspection, permit use of heavy vehicle contravenes standard, record keeper fail to ensure driver gives info required, record keeper not record prescribed information and record keeper not record prescribed information – standard hours.

Police will allege there were 232 breaches of the Heavy Vehicle National Law.

The company will appear in Bega Local Court on Tuesday 13 August 2024.