A TRUCK driver who slammed his B-double through a Jerilderie couple’s home told police he had been reaching for a drink moments before the crash.
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The Melbourne driver, 52, had been travelling north on the Newell Highway about 4.15am yesterday when he crashed into the rear of the Waloona Way home.
The impact caused major damage to the home, which Sgt Paul Jones, of Tocumwal police, said would cost about $100,000 to repair.
A Volkswagen Touareg and Ford Fiesta in a garage and the home’s kitchen were damaged, along with a rear fence.
The couple, in their 60s, were asleep at the opposite end of the house and were treated for shock.
“The damage was pretty bad,” Sgt Jones said.
“The driver is lucky he didn’t get seriously injured, it could have been a hell of a lot worse.
“That momentary lapse of concentration could have been devastating to everyone in the house.”
The Booth Transport employee was taken to Jerilderie Hospital with minor injuries, and police are awaiting blood test results to determine if drugs or alcohol were involved.
The company declined to comment yesterday.
“He reckons he was getting a can of drink which had fallen on the floor,” Sgt Jones said.
“It just shows you, especially with trucks, what vehicles can do when you’re not concentrating fully on the road, whether that be picking something off the floor or using a phone.
“We’re awaiting blood test results and he’s more than likely to get an infringement for negligent driving.
“He went through a give way sign.”
Officers had enquired if the driver had been using his phone at the time.
The man had been transporting empty containers from Melbourne to Griffith.
Sgt Jones said the truck would have been filled with wine at Griffith before returning to Melbourne.