Tarantino Investments fined over Epping crash that killed Peter Howard

As the loving family of a dead Mill Park garbage truck driver continue to mourn his loss, the company responsible for the fatal accident has fronted court.

A Melbourne company has been criticised for leaving road users in “extreme danger” in relation to a crash that killed a garbage truck driver, Melbourne Magistrates’ Court has heard

Tarantino Investments Pty Ltd pleaded guilty on Wednesday in court to a one charge of failing to ensure “ensure that plant being used for a purpose for which it was supplied was safe and without risks to health.”

It comes after a subcontractor driver working for the company, tasked with delivering a shipping container, was involved in a crash in Epping December 2019 which claimed the life of Mill Park garbage truck driver, Peter Howard.

Goran Joveski, the subcontractor, according to a WorkSafe Victoria release, had noticed a rear stabilising leg protruding from the side loading trailer after it did not retract with the remote control.

Manual levers had to be used to retract the leg but Joveski drove without retracting the leg.

Truck driver Peter Howard died in 2019 after a road accident.

An investigation found the side trailer’s wiring was in poor condition due to some structural damage and the remote control was held together by duct tape and cable ties.

The stabilising leg killed Mr Howard instantly after colliding with the cabin of his vehicle.

Tarantino Investments was fined $35,000 and ordered to pay costs of $7500.

“This company’s failure put other road users in extreme danger,” WorkSafe Director of Health and Safety Narelle Beer said.

“Tragically, we have already seen 12 workers killed in vehicle accidents this year and WorkSafe will not hesitate to take strong action against duty holders refusing to control the known risks.”

Joveski was sentenced last year over the crash to a three-year community corrections order, with 300 hours of unpaid community work.

Mr Howard was a devoted husband, father and son, and a popular figure at his local cricket club and CFA brigade. Judge Wendy Wilmoth described Howard’s death as a “tragedy” that left his mother, wife and children with “untold grief”.