Runaway truck death: Fulton Hogan apologises to Joji Bilo's family

Joji Bilo (right) with his family. Photo / Supplied

The wife of a roadworker killed by a runaway truck has tearfully described the "living nightmare" her life has become.

From seeing his body for the first time to kissing him goodbye for the last time, Luisa Bilo's pain had shaken her "to the absolute core", she told the Wellington District Court today.

Roadworker Joji Bilo, 25, was killed in Wellington's Ngauranga Gorge in March 2019 after being fatally struck by a runaway truck.

The vehicle had a faulty handbrake, a known issue with the Sanwa Seiki brake system.

Luisa Bilo said when the police showed up and told her what had happened, she could not accept the truth.

"Not my Joji, anybody but my Joji... He would never leave me and the kids," she said.

Their children were just 4 and 2 at the time of his death, and have already missed out on many memories with their father, she said.

She described herself as "one broken heart trying to shield and protect two little broken hearts".

"I waved Joji goodbye that night just for him to be returned to us in a coffin," Bilo said.

"Joji was a man like no other... He loved me unconditionally. I am who I am because of him."

Infrastructure and roading company Fulton Hogan came before the courts today for the tragic incident, having pleaded guilty to a breach of the Health and Safety Act 2015.

The outcome of today's hearing was reserved by Judge Arthur Tompkins.

Fulton Hogan was the lead contractor on the worksite in Wellington at the time.

Managing director Cos Bruyn told the court as soon as they became aware of a fault with the brake system, they made sure to have it fixed in all the vehicles in their fleet, but did not go so far as to insist their sub-contractors had the system fixed.

In doing so, they "effectively failed Joji", he said.

Bruyn apologised to Joji Bilo's family for the "tragic accident".

Bilo's brother said in his victim impact statement he turned to alcohol, stopped working, and nearly lost his own family due to his inability to overcome his grief.

"If things were done differently, maybe Joji would still be here."

He described Bilo as a "fun, loving, hilarious guy" and an "amazing father and husband".

He had hoped to take his children home for a visit to Fiji but didn't manage to before his death.

Lawyers for WorkSafe and Fulton Hogan told the court how there had been multiple crashes in New Zealand caused by the faulty handbrakes, and how Fulton Hogan subsequently lobbied for a ban on the brake system to prevent similar incidents happening in the future.

The decision of Judge Tompkins was reserved and will be released at a later date.