Vic: Truckies must stand up to save lives; judge

AAP General News (Australia)
02-11-2004
Vic: Truckies must stand up to save lives; judge

MELBOURNE, Feb 11 AAP - Innocent people would continue to die unless truck drivers
stood up to ruthless bosses who pushed them into breaking the law to meet unrealistic
deadlines, a Victorian judge warned today.

Judge Joe Gullaci sentenced Warrnambool truck driver Joseph Terry Caldwell, 24, to
a minimum three years, 10 months jail in the County Court after he pleaded guilty to one
count of culpable driving.

Caldwell's prime mover struck 46-year-old Francis Fava as he was driving east on the
Western Highway at Melton, west of Melbourne, on July 6, 2001.

Mr Fava, who was thrown 39 metres on to an embankment, had been standing next to his
car in the emergency lane about 4.40am (AEST).

The court heard Caldwell was fatigued and had taken amphetamines to stay awake and
meet the demands of the Festival City Interstate Truck Company when he drifted left and
sideswiped the father of two.

Police Senior Sergeant Peter Bellion estimated Caldwell's prime mover was travelling
about 85-90kph.

"I am satisfied that little or no rest periods, almost continuous driving over a number
of days and your drug intoxication produced a lethal cocktail which has resulted in the
tragic loss of life of an innocent man," Judge Gullaci said.

He said truck drivers often took drugs to stay awake so they could meet their employers'
"unrealistic schedules".

"A consequence of this sort of behaviour is that, as in this case, members of the community
who are totally innocent of any wrongdoing lose their lives," Judge Gullaci said.

"Until the drivers stand up to ruthless employers and refuse to be pushed into breaking
the law there will continue to be tragic accidents that result in death."

Judge Gullaci called on authorities to target ruthless employers to get them out of the industry.

AAP adm/ce/it/de

KEYWORD: CALDWELL

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