A truck driver killed in a fiery crash on the Hume Highway in NSW has been identified as an Indian immigrant who was living in Melbourne.
Sukhjinder Singh Sandhu, 29, from Vaironangal village near Batala in Punjab, was killed in the crash, which occurred near Breadalbane, southwest of Goulburn, just after 4am on Friday, The Australia Today reported.
The 31-year-old driver of a second truck suffered minor head injuries and was taken to Yass Hospital for testing, and the highway was shut down for several hours following the collision, with Hazmat crews brought in to deal with the blaze.
NSW Police said a B-double truck travelling towards Sydney broke down in the left lane, and the driver got out, placed hazard signs on the road and announced the breakdown on CB radio, but was struck by Mr Sandhu’s road train.
“The 31-year-old male driver of that B-double has gotten out, activated all his hazard requirements, and notified other drivers on CV radio that he had broken down in lane one,” NSW Police Superintendent Linda Bradbury said.
“A short period of time later, a road train carrying aerosols has collided with the rear of the B-double, which was carrying groceries at the time.”
Family and friends said Mr Sandhu got married in India about a year ago and returned to Australia to continue working, and that his death had left his community devastated.
The fatal collision came just a fortnight after another crash at a nearby rest stop involving six trucks that were all destroyed by fire.
None of the drivers suffered serious injuries, and a 28-year-old man from Wollert in Victoria was charged on July 14 with negligent driving (no death or grievous bodily harm). He will face Yass Local Court on August 27.
Header image: Left, Mr Sandhu (The Australia Today). Right, the scene of the crash (NSW Rural Fire Service).
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