Truckie Troy Adam West fined for veering into overtaking car on Western Highway

A truck driver has told a court he wasn’t aware he had veered into an overtaking vehicle after he was blinded by its high beams on the Western Highway.

A truck driver has been fined in Ballarat court over an incident on the Western Highway in 2019. Photo: File

A truck driver who veered into an overtaking vehicle having been blinded by its high beams has avoided conviction in court.

Ballarat Magistrates’ Court on Monday heard Troy Adam West and the complainant were both driving on the Western Highway at Trawalla, the former in a B-double and the latter in a Nissan Dualis, late at night in March 2019.

The Nissan attempted to overtake West, who shone a bright light in the complainant’s face.

The truck driver of 17 years said in court he was attempting to use his rear spotlights to tell the complainant to turn off his own high beams.

As the Nissan moved to overtake, West’s truck veered into its passenger side rear view mirror, smashing the mirror’s outer casing.

A witness described the B-double as moving “quite dramatically” in its lane, believing the wind was pushing it from side to side.

The complainant pulled over after the incident.

Police later intercepted West on High St in Ararat.

He said he was not aware the collision had even occurred.

Officers also found three 12-gauge shotgun cartridges in West’s bag, which he said he had picked up at a truck stop near Horsham, meaning to throw them out.

West admitted to the offending and told the court he drove about 5000km a week.

He was fined $1200 and was not convicted.