Speeding Henty truck driver tipped loaded sheep truck on Hume, 450 killed

Brian William Hayes was travelling in a fully loaded $630,000 Kenworth, which he had bought six days earlier, at 106kmh.

The speed limit on the Hume Freeway and Metropolitan Ring Road was 80kmh and truck advisory signs, which show a truck tipping over, had a suggested limit of 50kmh.

Hayes rolled the truck and trailers carrying 633 sheep, spilling the animals onto the highway at Thomastown on October 23, 2022.

The truck slid before coming to a stop.

About 300 of the animals were killed, about 150 were euthanised, and the remaining sheep survived.

Paramedics searched for his licence and found a dashcam.

Police seized the device and took a copy of the video footage.

The 59-year-old was taken to hospital but didn't suffer any major injuries.

Lawyer Chirag Patel told the Wodonga Magistrates Court his client had sped up to get into the right lane.

"He should have been slowing down not speeding up, in hindsight," magistrate Ian Watkins said.

The magistrate said at 106kmh, "he's inviting disaster, and that's just what's happened".

"Your mind clearly wasn't on the job," he told Hayes.

"You were focused on things you shouldn't have been focused on."

Mr Patel said his client had been driving since the age of 16 and his new Kenworth was "his pride and joy".

The Henty business owner has been able to claim $300,000 in insurance money over the damage and the truck is still being rebuilt.

The court heard Hayes drove 180,000 to 200,000 kilometres each year and had several drivers working for him.

Mr Watkins said Hayes, who admitted to a charge of dangerous driving, had pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity.

"It's not the worst driving history I've ever seen," he said after viewing the 59-year-old's priors.

"It's not the best either."

He fined Hayes $2500 and banned him from driving for six months.