Crash reaction baffles
I AM a heavy vehicle driver, and on the night of Thursday, July 4, while working, I was witness to a serious traffic accident just south of Cardwell on the Bruce Highway, about 7.45pm.
This accident involved a Bdouble truck, which, in my opinion, ran a small vehicle off the road and head-on into the safety rails on a small creek crossing. This vehicle was thrown into the air, and landed back on to the road just in front of my truck. I was only just able to stop my truck in time, just avoiding hitting the small vehicle myself, as I was sitting a distance back from this truck, as the roads were wet and I was concerned about his driving.
I had earlier let this B-double pass me north of Cardwell as I believed that he was driving in a dangerous manner, tailgating me. I observed this truck then tailgating the small vehicle, trying to pass it for several kilometres before the accident.
I contacted the driver of the truck on my UHF radio as soon as I pulled up, and he thought that I was the small vehicle driver, and verbally abused me and told me that I deserved what I got because I wouldn’t let him overtake. I will point out that we were travelling at 100km/h all that time.
He then just kept driving and failed to stop, even though I told him that I was another truck driver and I had witnessed what had happened.
I immediately rang 000 and reported the accident, and when the police arrived, they told me that they had my details, and they would contact me for a statement later. This never happened, and after making inquiries with my local police station, I have been informed that the police who attended the accident decided that no further action would be taken against the truck driver. Why?
I have written this letter as a last resort, as I have been slightly distressed by this accident, and just seem to be reaching deadends with the police, and can’t understand why this man can be allowed to keep driving on our roads without any consequences for his actions. I thought that, if nothing else, isn’t leaving the seen of an accident an offence on its own? I cannot understand why the police aren’t interested in taking this further. CHRISTOPHER DOWNING Halifax