Anthony Spatolisano sentenced over Warrego Highway crash that killed mother and daughter

A man now jailed for his role in a horrific Warrego Highway crash cannot explain his actions that led to the death of a mother and daugther, a court has heard.

SENTENCED: The man responsible for the deaths of a Rockhampton mother and daughter, Bev and Olivia Harwood, has been sentenced.

A semi-trailer driver who inexplicably drove into the back of a utility, pushing it into the path of an oncoming vehicle resulting in the deaths of a mother and daughter has been jailed.

Anthony Spatolisano had started his shift just 15 minutes earlier and was driving east on the Warrego Highway east of Oakey about 9am, October 2, 2018.

Dashcam footage from his semi-trailer, which was played to the Toowoomba District Court, showed it was a clear, sunny day and the road ahead clear as he approached the Brimblecombe Road intersection.

 

Emergency services on the scene of the fatal Warrego Highway crash in October 2018

 

For reasons the 37-year-old driver can't explain, he did not see a utility stopped on the Warrego Highway, indicating turning right into Brimblecombe Road.

Spatolisno's truck struck the rear left of the utility, pushing that vehicle into the path of a white Subaru sedan driven by Allan Harwood, 47, his wife Beverley, 44, and 17-year-old daughter Olivia Harwood.

The Harwoods had been returning to Rockhampton after attending a family reunion in Warwick, Crown prosecutor Matt Le Grande told the court.

Olivia Harwood died at the scene, while her mother died from her injuries in hospital weeks later.

Mr Harwood sustained serious injuries which equated to grievous bodily harm.

The driver of the utility was knocked unconscious and sustained fractures to two discs in his back.

Police on the scene of the crash.

Mr Harwood and his two surviving daughters Molly and Sophie were in court to hear Spatolisano plead guilty to dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing death and grievous bodily harm.

Mr Le Grande said Spatolisano, from Victoria, was to be sentenced on the grounds he had failed to keep a proper lookout.

Defence barrister Daniel Caruana told the court his client had last year had his left leg amputated below the knee due to diabetes and his time in custody would be more difficult than for an ordinary prisoner.

His client had been diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder and was guilt ridden about the incident and had written a letter of apology expressing his deep remorse.

Judge Katherine McGinness said by victim impact statements presented to the court the Harwood family was devastated by their loss.

She sentenced Spatolisno to three and a half years in jail, to be suspended for 3.5 years after he has served nine months and disqualified him from driving for two years.

 

Originally published as Truckie jailed over highway crash that killed mother and daughter