Woolworths’ truck driver who survived Bruce High accident had drugs in system
A Woolworths’ truck driver who suffered major injury but survived a major wreck on the Bruce Highway had meth in his system, a court was told.
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A Woolworths’ truck driver who likely fell asleep at the wheel before a major crash on the Bruce Highway had the dangerous drug meth in his system at the time, a North Queensland court was told.
Harry Collins, 43, who suffered serious injuries in the single-vehicle accident between Townsville and Bowen on February 24, pleaded guilty to the sole charge of driving with both methylamphetamine, known as Ice, and amphetamine in his system when he appeared in the Ingham Magistrates Court on Thursday.
Queensland Police Service prosecutor Luay Allawy tendered the court Collins’ traffic history that included two previous drug-drive convictions, the most recent of which was in March last year, but told the court the defendant was not charged with a repeat offence.
He said that on the day of the accident, Collins was driving a B-double Kenworth towing two fully-laden refrigerated trailers travelling from Mackay to Townsville “for the Woolworths’ food chain”.
Mr Allawy said that at Guthalungra about 6am, “he veered off the Bruce Highway, hit a water culvert … the B-double trailers rotated on their left-hand side for about 100 metres, the truck travelled 50 metres.”
“He’s come off the road, he’s hit a water culvert and crashed into a tree,” he said.
“He was entrapped inside the vehicle and passers-by have had to assist him to safety.”
The prosecutor said the defendant told police that he could not remember what had caused the crash.
“He was unable to recall if he had fallen asleep but said, ‘when I opened my eyes, it was too late’,” he said.
“He also made admissions that he uses amphetamines.”
Mr Allawy said the badly injured defendant was taken to Bowen Hospital where a blood test subsequently revealed the presence of the two drugs.
“It’s fortunate for both him and other road users that he was the only person injured.”
He urged a community-based sentence or a significant fine.
Defence lawyer Darryn Casson of Townsville-based Salt Legal said his client, born and raised in Ingham, conceded that it was most likely Collins “fell asleep at the wheel”.
“He did spend four days in hospital, he had seven broken ribs, a hairline fracture to his skull and the top of his scapula was broken.”
He urged a fine and a licence disqualification for the minimum-mandatory period of one month.
Magistrate Cathy McLennan said the offence was a serious one, mitigated by his injuries but aggravated by the most recent drug-drive conviction in Tully last year.
“You are fortunate that you didn’t cause injury – or death – to anybody else other than yourself.”
Collins was convicted, fined $500 and disqualified from driving for seven months, just under the nine-month maximum.
Magistrate McLennan was unimpressed by the defendant’s desire to return to work as a truck driver.
“I do think that anyone that hires you to drive a truck should think twice before they do because you’ve got a number of previous now, this is your third conviction for drug driving, you’ve also got a drink driving,” she said.
“You are a danger to yourself and others on the road.”
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