A truck driver who fatally struck a pedestrian with his vehicle near Maitland in 2022 has been sentenced to an 18-month Community Corrections Order, with a judge saying a prudent driver would not have continued behind the wheel if they felt the level of fatigue that led to the tragedy.
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Kurri Kurri man Alan John Reed, 62, had just bought a morning coffee and was leaning into his ute to put it in the vehicle's cup holder at about 6.30am on June 21, 2022, when a truck and trailer being driven by William Anthony Hall, 47, fatally struck him.
Mr Reed died immediately of his injuries on Cessnock Road, just outside Maitland, Newcastle District Court heard on Friday afternoon.
Judge Roy Ellis said Hall was driving home with two workmates after an overnight road-work shift on the Central Coast when he had a micro-sleep and the vehicle slightly veered.
Hall corrected the truck, but its trailer hit Mr Reed.
Judge Ellis said the tragedy came as a result of a "combination of some terrible factors" which had a "devastating outcome for Mr Reed".
"This was a mistake. It was a serious mistake and had a serious outcome," he said.
"Mr Hall was a good man who made a mistake and caused a devastating loss to Mr Reed and his family. It's also had a devastating impact on Mr Hall, because he is a good man.
"If this little micro-sleep had occurred 100 metres earlier, or 100 metres later ... there are plenty of people in our community who have had such a micro-sleep."
Hall pleaded guilty in November to one count of negligent driving occasioning death.
Judge Ellis disqualified Hall from driving for three years, but backdated that ban to the time of the incident when his licence was originally suspended.
