A man who failed to negotiate a right-hand bend south-west of Hawkesdale, rolling a prime mover and killing cattle in January, has admitted to being an inexperienced truck driver.
Jordan Matthews, 31, pleaded guilty in Warrnambool Magistrates Court on Monday, August 7, to careless driving.
The man was driving a Western Star prime mover on the Woolsthorpe-Heywood Road, a 100 km/h stretch of road, on January 22 at 10.15am when he failed to negotiate a right-hand bend.
The truck rolled, sliding for more than 80 metres before coming to a stop on the side of the road.
Police attended and spoke to the driver who said he "tapped" the brake before rolling the truck, admitting he "got it all wrong", the court heard.
In January The Standard reported police from Hamilton, Port Fairy and Koroit, Moyne Shire officers, an ambulance and CFA crews from Hawkesdale, Warrong and Willatook attended the crash scene.
A stock agent reported 29 cattle died, with an estimated value of about $90,000.
On Monday, Matthews told the court he owned the cattle, truck and trailer.
He said there was a total of 40 cattle on board the truck, which he had only driven a "handful of times".
"It was the first time I had driven it completely loaded," he said.
"I am still embarrassed about it."
Magistrate Gerard Lethbridge accepted Matthews wasn't doing "anything particularly stupid or negligent" at the time of the offending, but said his inexperience was troubling.
"Frankly, in this district there are far too many trucks involved in crashing, running off roads, failing to take turns and so forth," he said.
"There's a real risk there of not only cattle being killed, but also people being killed."
Mr Lethbridge said he had no doubt the incident was "an extraordinarily sobering experience" for the driver.
Matthews was placed on a good behaviour bond, which include conditions he pay $600 to the court fund and take part in a road trauma awareness seminar.
Jessica Howard
jessica.howard@warrnamboolstandard.com.au
jessica.howard@warrnamboolstandard.com.au
