Rubbish truck driver sentenced for causing accident that resulted in driver's death

Emergency services staff attend the scene after Paul Douglas Norman Read drove a rubbish truck into the path of an oncoming moped, causing the death of Isaac Oldale. Photo / Bevan Conley

A Whanganui man was careless when he drove a rubbish truck into the path of an oncoming moped, causing the driver to crash and die.

Paul Douglas Norman Read was doing his rubbish run when he failed to give way to the moped on the corner of Mosston Rd and Hinau St on January 19, 2018.

The moped collided with the truck, resulting in a severe head injury to its driver, 23-year-old Isaac Oldale.

Oldale was transported to Whanganui Hospital in a critical condition and died later that day.

Read pleaded guilty to careless or inconsiderate vehicle operation causing death and was sentenced in Whanganui District Court on Wednesday.

Read's defence counsel Roger Crowley that his client's life was changed forever.

"A moment of carelessness has changed my client's life and it has had tragic consequences for another family," Crowley said.

"They have lost their son and my client, no matter what happens in court today, will have to live with this tragic accident for the rest of his life."

Read has regular contact with Oldale's family and met them at the cemetery last weekend, where both parties brought flowers.

Crowley said that Read is supporting the family to the best of his ability and is making emotional reparation payments following restorative justice.

"Carelessness doesn't require intent and is in fact a momentary loss of concentration and that is what occurred on the day," Crowley said.

"He is said to be responsible, he is said to be hard working, he is said to be a very good truck driver."

In delivering his sentence, Judge Christopher Field said that charges of this nature are always difficult to deal with and delivered the facts of the matter.

"You were completing a rubbish collection run at the time of the incident and you were at a crossroad with a road which is controlled by a give way sign," Judge Field said.

"You proceeded to cross the intersection into the path of a south-bound moped who had the right of way.

"The moped skidded into the right side of your vehicle and as a result of that collision, the rider received fatal injuries and died a short time later."

Judge Field sentenced Read to 120 hours' community work and disqualified from driving for six months.