‘Nowhere to go’ as crane went haywire
AS A runaway crane ploughed towards the Leonardi family’s car, panic and devastation unfolded on the New England Highway, an inquest has heard.
Christine Leonardi, known as Sam, and her six-year-old son Samuel died after the September 2013 crash near Toowoomba.
A 20-tonne crane “catapulted” itself off the road and could have caused even more tragedy, Coroner John Hutton said in Brisbane Coroners Court yesterday.
It was a miracle Mrs Leonardi’s two other children survived, he said.
“She was trying to get out of the way,” Coroner Hutton said, as the routes of the Franna AT20 crane and Mrs Leonardi were explained.
“She had nowhere to go. Absolutely nowhere.”
The crane carried on for 60m after the crash, smashing through a fence and trees.
Crane driver Rodger Douglas Hannemann said most testing carried out before he was licensed to drive cranes did not involve driving on public roads.
He said a friend in Mt Isa who drove similar cranes complained of handling problems. But the cranes were generally good machines, Mr Hannemann added.
The court heard of the “death wobble” that happened when a crane fishtailed, becoming uncontrollable.
Mr Hannemann said as the crane moved erratically, he tried braking but that did not work.
He believed he hit a bump, then heard “a massive explosion” and crashed.
“I’ve had an accident ... I’ve killed them all,” his work manager Travis Butler believed Mr Hannemann said in a phone call that day.
“You would have been shocked. Absolutely shocked,” Coroner Hutton told Mr Hannemann.
Counsel assisting the coroner Peter De Waard said a deflated tyre and handling issues were identified with the crane before the crash.
Warwick’s Phillip Seibel drove the crane two weeks before the fatal crash.
He said the road where the fatal crash happened had a slight bump on the left hand side.
Mr Seibel said sometimes crane drivers who hit bumps over-corrected.
Mr Hannemann no longer drives cranes. The inquest continues.
She had nowhere to go. Absolutely nowhere.
— Coroner John Hutton