Truckie avoids jail over fatal crash

A truck driver charged over a horror freeway smash in the Adelaide Hills that killed a man has escaped a jail term.

He has instead been banned from driving for two years, but the victim’s family says transport companies should also be held to account in such cases.

In October 2010, inexperienced Victorian truck driver Daniel Walsh lost control on the down track of the South Eastern Freeway in the Adelaide Hills.

He couldn’t get the truck into low gear and passed two arrester beds before slamming into a bus shelter, killing fellow truck driver John Posnakidis, who was fixing his prime mover.

Another man was severely injured.

The court heard the truck’s brakes were not in good order, and that Walsh had only four and a half hours of rest in 24 hours – a critical risk breach.

Mr Posnakidis’ family told the court he always put safety first. They want action to protect others.

“He was only 15 minutes from his home, his children,” they said in a victim impact statement.

“Trucking companies needed to be more accountable for training.”

In a letter of apology, Walsh expressed his deep remorse, and he said that was only his fourth time down the Adelaide Hills, but he thought he could handle the descent.

He received a five-month suspended sentence, a fine and is banned from driving for two years.