A truck driver has pleaded guilty to culpable driving causing death and grievous bodily harm after running a red light on Canberra's Barton Highway, killing one person and seriously injuring another. Jake Barrett, from Karabar in Queanbeyan, entered his plea in the ACT Supreme Court today.
The crash occurred in September 2021 when Barrett, driving a 22-tonne truck carrying a 10-tonne excavator, struck a Ford Falcon at an intersection. The impact pushed the Falcon into a Toyota Land Cruiser. Alistair Urquhart, who was in the Falcon, died at the scene. The Land Cruiser driver suffered multiple broken bones but survived.
Court documents reveal Barrett told police he took his eyes off the road for up to 11 seconds after an alarm sounded in the truck cabin. He said it was his first day back at work following Canberra's Delta COVID-19 lockdown and he was unfamiliar with the vehicle.
Barrett had been scheduled for trial but will now be sentenced later this year. Passers-by assisted the injured man until medical help arrived, and Barrett apologized to police at the scene.
