A truck driver for a Latrobe engineering company was killed when he drove too fast through an East Coast corner last year, a coroner has said.
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East Devonport man James William Espie, 72, left BridgePro's Latrobe depot about 5am on March 25, 2019, in a prime mover carrying a concrete bridge span.
In a report, coroner Olivia McTaggart said Mr Espie was travelling in convoy behind Raymond Gray, who was also driving a prime mover with an identical load.
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Ms McTaggart said about 9am Mr Espie was travelling north of Bicheno when his truck rolled on a corner and he was killed.
A portion of Mr Gray's affidavit was included in the report, in which he said he had slowed from 70km/h to 40km/h approaching the corner, which he was able to safely negotiate.
"There were signs advising of the corner, but these are easily missed if you looked away for even a moment," Mr Gray said.
Ms McTaggart said Mr Gray heard a "bang" and a "massive crash" shortly after the corner, which he assumed was Mr Espie.
He stopped and ran back to the corner, and saw Mr Espie's truck on its roof, with the trailer twisted on to the wrong side of the road.
"He knew that Mr Espie was trapped inside the crushed cabin, which was very difficult to access, and there was no response when he called to him," Ms McTaggart said.,
Ms McTaggart said that emergency services attended the scene shortly after and Mr Espie was recovered and pronounced dead, and Senior Constable Michal Rybka investigated the crash.
"Senior Constable Rybka concluded, as a result of his investigation, that when Mr Espie approached the sharp left curve with an advisory speed of 45km/h, he was travelling at about 90km/h.
"Mr Espie slowed somewhat as he negotiated the curve.
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"Nevertheless, the trailer had already started to lift off the roadway, veering onto the incorrect side of the roadway, rolling over on its right side with the momentum taking the prime mover with it.
"The cab of the prime mover was crushed, causing fatal injuries to Mr Espie.
"I am unable to determine the specific reason why Mr Espie failed to slow to a safe speed before negotiating the curve.
"Although he was familiar with the road, he may have been briefly distracted for an unknown reason, such distraction having tragic consequences."
Sandy Powell
Court and crime reporter covering the West and North-West of Tasmania for the Advocate.
Court and crime reporter covering the West and North-West of Tasmania for the Advocate.
