Hearing: Eric Flight has pleaded not guilty to a charge of negligent driving causing death

A garbage truck driver told his colleague he “did not see” Pamela Gee before he fatally hit her at a Burnie intersection, a court has heard. LATEST FROM COURT >>

Eric Flight goes inside the Burnie Magistrates Court

The family of a woman killed when she was hit by a garbage truck in Burnie’s CBD have watched footage of the shock incident in court.

Truck driver Eric Flight has pleaded not guilty to a charge of negligent driving causing death, in relation to the August 2021 death of 80-year-old Pamela Gee.

A hearing is underway in the Burnie Magistrates Court.

The local woman was on was on a shopping and errand trip and was crossing at the lights on the corner of Cattley and Mount streets when she was struck.

She later died in hospital.

Pamela Gee died after she was hit by a truck in the Burnie CBD in August 2021.

The prosecution told Magistrate Leanne Topfer a prudent driver would have seen Mrs Gee, who was wearing bright clothing and did not walk onto the intersection unexpectedly.

Mr Flight’s lawyer Greg Richardson said it was not in dispute Mrs Gee was hit by the truck but whether the experienced JJ Richards employee was driving in a negligent manner.

Ray Oliver, who was in training to be a driver at time and was travelling in the passenger seat that day, gave evidence.

Mr Oliver had jumped out of the truck to gather boxes minutes before Mrs Gee was struck.

He told the court Mr Flight told him at the scene “I think I’ve run over a pedestrian.”

“ I didn’t see them.”

The court was told Mr Flight was not affected by alcohol or drugs at the time and the Volvo truck he was driving was travelling at about 17km/h at the time of impact.

Mr Oliver was asked a few months later to create a re-enactment of the crash, driving the same vehicle while wearing a go pro.

He did five laps of the CBD and on one pass he could not see the pedestrian placed at the intersection as part of scenario “at all” due to a blind spot on the truck.

The hearing continues.