Truck driver rolled vehicle, killing and maiming lambs

A large number of lambs were killed or maimed when an inexperienced driver rolled a stock truck on a state highway last November. PHOTO / FILE

Carlos Ronald Thomas Davies was behind the wheel of a heavy truck and trailer, loaded with lambs, when he lost focus and crashed - with deadly consequences for his cargo.

It was November 24 last year and he was travelling on State Highway 63 in the Tasman District when he drifted across the road on a corner and rolled the truck, killing and maiming many animals, and potentially causing serious harm to other road users.

The crash also blocked the only route open between Nelson and Blenheim for several hours, which inconvenienced many travellers. At the time State Highway 6 - the main route between Nelson and Marlborough, was closed for repairs following major storm damage in August.

Davies was sentenced in the Blenheim District Court on Monday after pleading guilty to charges of careless driving and breaching a logbook by exceeding work time requirements.

Davies was uninjured in the crash, about 10km west of the village of St Arnaud, in which witnesses at the time reported the “very sad” sight of animals remaining trapped in the vehicle, many of which were badly injured.

State Highway 6 between Nelson and Blenheim was closed for weeks for repairs. Traffic was diverted through SH63, where Carlos Davies rolled the stock truck. Photo / Waka Kotahi

Police prosecution told the court Davies had not been paying attention and drifted wide on a corner, before rolling the truck.

He had started work that day at 5am, and according to the entry in his logbook he had been driving for eight-and-a-half hours before the crash, which exceeded the maximum work time without a break.

The law states that drivers must take a break of at least 30 minutes after five-and-a-half hours of work time.

Davies was described by his lawyer Tim McGuigan as a “reasonably inexperienced” driver, but one who showed signs of being a competent one.

“It was a vehicle he was not used to driving – it was the first time he had driven that type of truck,” McGuigan said.

Judge Tony Zohrab said he was concerned that Davies’ had displayed a “pretty bad piece of driving”, which had potentially significant consequences for other road users, notwithstanding he had been driving a heavy truck and trailer unit loaded with lambs.

McGuigan said information provided by Davies’ employer showed he had learned a tough lesson by what had happened, and there was no heightened risk in allowing him to keep driving.

Judge Zohrab said in convicting Davies it had been a “bad case of careless driving with potentially significant consequences”.

On each charge he was fined $250 and disqualified from driving for a month.

“I appreciate that will be difficult, but you have a heavy responsibility driving a vehicle like this,” Judge Zohrab said.