Victim statements redacted in 2014 fatal SA freeway crash court hearing

ABC NEWS (Australia)

The daughters of a man who was killed in a crash at the bottom of the South Eastern freeway more than 11 years ago have had their victim impact statements detailing their grief read out in court. 57-year-old Thomas Spiess and 41-year-old Jacqueline Byrne died in August 2014 when their cars were hit by the out of control sewage truck.

Transcript

00:01More than 11 years after a crash caused the sudden death of their father,

00:05the grief of his two daughters is finally detailed in South Australia's Supreme Court.

00:1057-year-old Thomas Spies and 41-year-old Jacqueline Burns' lives were cut short

00:14when a truck owned by Clean Away Operations smashed into their cars

00:17at the bottom of the Southeastern Freeway in August 2014.

00:21Prosecutors reading the victim impact statements of Mr Spies' daughters,

00:24Crystal Spies and Hannah Pash, which were heavily redacted

00:27following an agreement between prosecution and defence lawyers.

00:31One of them telling the court that the legal process has deeply affected their family

00:35and that her grief and sadness feels like it will never end.

00:38His other daughter adding it's been too long to wait for justice

00:41and that she feels scared every time Clean Away trucks come down her street.

00:45Clean Away was charged by the National Safety Regulator over the crash,

00:49with the court previously hearing the truck suffered a catastrophic brake failure

00:53reaching speeds of up to 150km per hour.

00:56Criminal charges were also initially laid against the truck driver Darren Hicks,

01:00but they were dropped in 2018.

01:02Ms Pash told the court that it's now time for her dad to rest in peace

01:06and for her family to remember him for the years of beauty he added to their lives

01:10and not the day he was taken from them.

01:12A date is yet to be set for sentence, but the major waste company could face a total fine

01:17of up to $3 million for failing to comply with its health and safety duties.

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