Inquest opens into death of former cop whose Mack truck carting fish rolled over on highway

Todd Carver, a former policeman, tragically died in a truck rollover in the Huon Valley after changing careers. Now, the circumstances of his death are being examined by a coroner.

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FORMER police constable Todd Andrew Carver was driving a truck carting 4000 litres of ice slurry and fish on the night his life was tragically cut short.

The 42-year-old husband and father was driving along Esperance Coast Rd at Police Point when the trailer went over an embankment, rolling over and causing the Mack prime mover to roll with it.

The De Bruyn’s Transport employee, who lived at Midway Point, died at the scene after the truck flipped onto its driver’s side.

The accident, which unfolded about 11pm on July 13, 2014, was investigated by a coroner the following year.

But now, with new information coming to light, the circumstances surrounding Mr Carver’s death are again before a coroner.

On Wednesday, Coroner Olivia McTaggart also noted that as a workplace accident, the case should have in fact been subject to a full inquest.

Esperance Coast Rd at Police Point. Picture: Google Maps

Counsel assisting the coroner, Simon Nicholson, said Mr Carver had been in high spirits on the night of his death, which occurred after he picked up a tankerful of fish at Huon Aquaculture.

He said the inquest would examine Mr Carver’s training, the route he took on the night of his death and circumstances surrounding the rollover.

“There are some conflicting thoughts about how the rollover occurred,” Mr Nicholson said.

He added there was conflicting evidence about issues surrounding the prime mover’s airbag suspension.

A number of witnesses will be called during the three-day inquest, including a mechanical engineer who says that Mr Carver’s speed in combination with the load of the trailer and the truck was too fast for the road in question.

Mr Nicholson said Mr Carver, who was a police officer for 21 years before working as a truck driver, came to the job with a “wealth of experience” in driving – and had in fact been a trainer for other De Bruyn drivers.

However he said concerns had been raised over how much training Mr Carver himself had received.

The inquest is expected to continue until Friday.

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