Michael John Gamble fined after ‘confronting’ truck crash deemed a mystery

A magistrate has been left puzzled as to why a 63-year-old truck driver didn’t try to stop his vehicle before ploughing into a small car and causing a motorway pileup.

Michael John Gamble

A Buderim crash where a truck driver “ploughed” into three cars has left a magistrate puzzled as to why the 63-year-old didn’t try to stop the vehicle.

Michael John Gamble had been driving trucks for around 40 years, but on May 6, 2021, when he was driving along the Sunshine Motorway he drove straight into the back of a small car, causing a multi-vehicle crash.

The court heard the cars were stopped on the road and when the first car was hit by Gamble, it created a pileup of three cars.

Magistrate Matthew McLaughlin said it was “miraculous” that no one was seriously injured, as the driver of the first car escaped with only bruising and an abrasion to her head.

“The video is confronting, the first small car is in pieces in an explosion-type event,” Mr McLaughlin said.

Mr McLaughlin told the court he was concerned about the complete lack of awareness displayed in the dashcam footage as Gamble didn’t appear to apply the brakes.

Michael John Gamble leaving Maroochydore Magistrates Court.

Despite Gamble’s solicitor Jacob Pruden making a submission that his client hadn’t fallen asleep at the wheel, Mr McLaughlin struggled to find another explanation for his actions other than fatigue.

“Unless you have a serious health condition I can’t think of any other plausible explanation for why he wouldn’t at least at the last bit slam the brakes on,” he said.

“Not even at the last moment was there any deceleration, it just ploughed into the other vehicles, which tends to suggest there was an absolute lack of awareness of what was going on.”

Gamble was so “disturbed” by the event that within a week he saw a psychologist and had health checks completed which all came back clear, Mr Pruden told the court.

Gamble pleaded guilty to the dangerous operation charge in Maroochydore Magistrates Court and said even after watching the dashcam footage, he had no recollection of the crash.

“It’s a bit mysterious, your honour … he is unable to give me an actual explanation for what occurred,” Mr Pruden said.

Magistrate McLaughlin fined Gamble $1200, he was disqualified for nine months and no conviction was recorded.

Originally published as Michael John Gamble fined after ‘confronting’ truck crash deemed a mystery