Man lucky to be alive after head-on truck collision

Photo / File

A Blaketown man who recently caused the closure of State highway 73 when his car collided head-on with a 32-tonne truck, was told in the Greymouth District Court today that he was lucky to be alive.

Shaun Keith Richardson, 25, had only had three hours' sleep in the 24 hours before the crash.

He and a friend had driven to Dunedin, slept in a car for three hours and then returned via Christchurch.

Richardson allowed the BMW that he was driving to drift across the road on a moderate corner at Turiwhate, colliding with the truck, which was turned on to its side in the collision.

Lawyer Liz Bulger said the crash was the outcome of a long day and long distance.

"He should not have been driving and is very lucky that he's here at all. He's now going to have a civil tussle with the trucking company."

Fining him $700 and disqualifying him from driving for six months, Judge John Strettell reinforced the comment about good fortune.

"You are very fortunate to be here to be fined. On another day on another occasion, you would simply be dead."

- The Greymouth Star