Matthew Gray pleads guilty to killing Michael Keating in horror crash

The family of an 18-year-old cyclist killed in a horrific Golden Gully crash has confronted the Bendigo man responsible for his death.

18-year-old Michael Keating was killed by a garbage truck while riding his bike at Golden Gully, Bendigo, on June 7 2019. Picture: Supplied

A Bendigo father says he would be “happy if he didn’t wake up” after his teenage son was killed by a drugged-up truck driver while riding his bike in 2019.

Matthew Gray appeared in Melbourne County Court on Wednesday to plead guilty to dangerous driving causing the death of 18-year-old cyclist Michael Keating on June 7, 2019.

Michael’s father, Glenn, said his son’s backpack and boots still sit in his family business waiting for his son to collect them.

Glenn said he could not bear to move his son’s belongings after he was killed metres from his workplace, Keating’s Transport.

The court heard the driver, Gray, a 43-year-old Bendigo man, had residual methamphetamine in his system when he sped through a Golden Gully intersection and hit the teenager.

Less than 12 hours before the fatal crash, Gray said he took a small amount of methylamphetamine while at his home, after he went to the circus with his family.

Matthew Gray, 43, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing the death of 18-year-old cyclist Michael Keating at Golden Gully, Bendigo on June 7, 2019. Picture: Facebook

The waste collection driver later said he “dabbled” in the drug.

The next morning Gray woke at 5.15am to start his shift for Four Seasons Waste, Eaglehawk.

Gray was driving along his recycling bin collection route when he reached the Woodward Rd and Hattam St intersection, Golden Gully.

Gray said he slowed the truck to 15-20km/h as he approached the ‘give way’ sign at the corner, yet GPS data estimated the truck’s speed was 34.1km/h.

Prosecutor Daniel Porceddu said there were no signs of braking at the scene.

The experienced driver told police he checked both directions before crossing.

Gray said he did not see 18-year-old Michael Keating, his fluorescent yellow shirt, or red bike.

The teenager had just left his family transport business in MacDougall Rd, Golden Square to get lunch when he was hit by the front right-hand side garbage truck.

Gray felt a sickening bump and later said he thought he hit a sign, but when he checked the mirror saw Mr Keating’s red bicycle behind him.

Gray stopped the truck and remained at the scene.

Police conducted a preliminary oral fluid test with Gray, which detected the 0.09mg/L of methylamphetamines pumping through in his system.

A police reconstruction of the crash determined the intersection was relatively clear, and a driver would have been able to see 40m north and 120m south.

Prosecutors said Gray should have been able to see the young cyclist through his front windscreen.

Gray wiped away tears as he listened to the victim impact statements of Michael’s family.

Mr Keating said he was forced to drive past where his son was killed 10 to 20 times a day.

His voice cracked as he read a victim impact statement to the court.

“It rips my heart out every time,” he said.

“I can see everything that happened.”

Mr Keating said he missed his son’s voice around the workplace, at home and in the car.

“I’m always by myself now,” he said.

“Without music around it’s pretty quiet at work, there’s no music playing.

“There will always be a hole there – a missing seat at the (family) table.

“There’s no celebration anymore … it’s empty.

“I’d be happy if I didn’t wake up because then I wouldn’t realise it wasn’t a dream.”

Mr Keating said he didn’t remember the last thing he said to his son, but he could still picture him laying in the hospital.

“His face so badly damaged we couldn’t even see him.”

His mother Susan Keating struggled through tears to speak and described the “cold touch” of her son’s hands when she said goodbye.

“I can’t even remember if I said ‘I love you’ (that morning),” Ms Keating said.

“I usually did but I can’t remember – what if I didn’t?

“What if that wasn’t the last thing he heard me say?”

“I feel guilty that I didn’t protect my child – that it was Michael and not me.”

Ms Keating said she felt her remaining children had not only lost her brother, but their mother in her own grief.

“When I lost Michael, I lost a part of myself,” she said.

“I’m lost, so very lost.

“How do I help my family when I can’t even help myself?”

Gray’s barrister Marko Habib said he had developed a post-traumatic stress disorder following the crash.

Mr Habib said the Bendigo father-of-two had a steady work history, despite a long-standing battle with drugs which worsened following his friend’s death in 2015.

He said Gray had a strong prospect of rehabilitation and was now clean of drugs.

A picture of Michael Keating sat on an empty seat in the Melbourne County Court on Wednesday as Gray pleaded guilty to the driving and drug charges.

Judge Michael Tinney said he was bewildered the dangerous driving case had dragged on for so long as the CCTV footage of the crash made it “blindingly obvious” what had occurred.

“He’s cleaned up a cyclist in a truck,” Judge Tinney said.

“He’s killed someone. There’s footage of it.

“It’s hard to imagine a clearer case of it.”

Gray will reappear in Melbourne County Court on Friday, July 2 for sentencing.

He has already served 202 days in pre-sentence detention.