Man found dead on Sydney highway after truckie's horrible realisation
Tributes are pouring in for a Sydney father of three after his body was found on the side of a major highway two days after he was hit by a truck.
It’s believed David Howard, 30, was killed on Monday in Campbelltown in Greater Western Sydney however he wasn’t discovered until Wednesday after a truck driver checked his dashcam, the Daily Telegraph reported.
“About 1pm on Wednesday, police commenced a search along the Hume Highway after reports were received that a person had possibly been hit by a vehicle earlier in the week,” police told Yahoo News Australia.
“During the search, officers from Campbelltown City Police Area Command located human remains.”
Traffic was thrown into chaos for several hours on Wednesday afternoon, with all northbound lanes of the motorway closed, while police set up a crime scene to recover the remains.
They will now be forensically tested and a report will be prepared for the corner.
Truckie thought he’d struck an animal
The truck driver had assumed he’d hit an animal while behind the wheel on Monday, The Daily Telegraph reported.
It wasn’t until he reviewed the dashcam footage on Wednesday that he realised it was probably a person and contacted police.
An investigation is now underway into how Mr Howard ended up on the roadside.
While the cause of the incident remains under investigation, police have confirmed to Yahoo News Australia that self-harm is a line of inquiry.
‘Gone way too soon’
Mr Howard leaves behind three children, including an eight-year-old son, a four-year-old daughter and another young son, who he described as his “perfect three blessings".
Tributes have flown in for the father, who’s being remembered as a family man, with friends and family paying their respect online.
“RIP David Malakai Howard,” one friend wrote on Facebook. “Bro gone way too early.”
He pleaded with “anyone going through mental health issues” to “please talk to someone”, hashtagging, “it’s not weak to speak.”
“RIP my bro,” said another friend. “Shattered hearing the news, still can’t believe it.”
“Rest easy brother Howie,” added someone else. “Gone but never forgotten.”
“You were as solid as they come,” another said. “Would do anything for the fam.”
For support and information about suicide prevention contact Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636, Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467.
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