Qld: Truckie faces trial after rig rolls on mother of four

AAP General News (Australia)
12-18-2001
Qld: Truckie faces trial after rig rolls on mother of four

By Ainsley Pavey

BRISBANE, Dec 18 AAP - A truck driver is facing trial after his fully-laden semi-trailer
overturned on a corner and flattened the front of a car, killing a mother of four who
was driving her children to school.

Desmond James Manners, 39, of Albany Creek in Brisbane's north, has pleaded not guilty
in the District Court to dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing the death of Kerry
Monks on November 18, 1999.

The Crown alleged Manners was travelling at an excessive speed to take the sharp corner
at Kluver Street, Bald Hills.

The court was told Mrs Monks, 30, was travelling in the opposite direction to Manners
when he allegedly overcorrected on the turn, causing the trailer laden with 20 tonnes
of gravel to tip.

Mrs Monks was in the car with her children, aged three to 11, at about 8.45am.

The children survived but Mrs Monks was crushed to death.

The suburban street runs alongside the Bruce Highway and was a popular route for semi-trailer
drivers using it as a link to the Gateway Motorway.

The court was told there was a speed advisory sign for motorists to travel at 30kph
around the bend but a more appropriate sign for trucks and trailers would have been 15kph.

Sergeant John Ruller from Queensland Police's Accident Investigation Squad today said
Manners had been travelling at about 34kph at the time of the rollover.

"I would not like to be in a vehicle, particularly a heavy vehicle, doing 30kph around
that corner," Sergeant Ruller told the court.

The sergeant said he had seen other heavy vehicles cross the centre line in order to
negotiate the curb.

The court was told the tyres and brakes on the trailer driven by Manners were poor and deficient.

The trail before Judge Brian Hoath is continuing.

AAP ap/jhm/ph/de

KEYWORD: MANNERS

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