Truck driver 'didn't know' he'd run over man

THE driver of an AB-triple road train who ran over a man in Chinchilla on Tuesday afternoon didn't realise what had happened until the victim rang him.

Matthew Clyne, who was run over by a semi-trailer in Chinchilla on Tuesday afternoon.

THE driver of an AB-triple road train who ran over a man in Chinchilla on Tuesday afternoon didn't realise what had happened until the victim rang him.

Around 2pm, Chinchilla man Matthew Clyne was working on a truck on the corner of the Warrego Highway and Cooper Street when the driver started the road train and drove off, unaware Mr Clyne was still under the vehicle.

The matter is now being investigated by the Queensland Police Service and Workplace Health and Safety Officers from Toowoomba.

Mr Clyne is currently in hospital in Toowoomba after being airlifted there on Tuesday afternoon from Chinchilla Hospital.

He suffered serious injuries, including extensive bruising and fractured legs in the incident.

Officer in Charge of Chinchilla Police Station Sergeant Gerard Brady said "it appears at this stage the injured male had been conducting work under the truck on the side of the highway under the trailer".

After the incident, Sgt Brady said the driver received a phone call from the victim who stated he had just run over him.

"The driver returned to the location and provided assistance," he added.

The family of Mr Clyne has started a Gofundme page to raise money to cover his medical expenses.

The page has raised more than $3000 in the 24 hours since it went live.

Mr Clyne's sister Donna McGee said that for as long as she could remember, Matthew had fixed things.

"He makes broken things work again. Now Matthew is the broken thing and he needs help," she wrote.

"Matt was stabilised and taken by ambulance to Chinchilla Hospital, where he was stabilised again. After that, he was airlifted by helicopter to Toowoomba Hospital thanks to the fantastic services of Careflight.

"Matthew is self-employed. He fixes really big machines and trucks. We hope that one day he will be able to walk and return to his trade, but for now, he is in hospital, with no income for the foreseeable future and a mountain of medical expenses coming his way in addition to everyday bills arriving.

"We are reaching out to friends who would like to help Matthew so he can afford the medical care he needs over the coming weeks and months and to help cover his expenses to give him the best chance of recovery."

Originally published as Truck driver 'didn't know' he'd run over man