Teenage driver charged for truck rollover

MOPPING UP: Emergency crews at the scene of a truck rollover at the Jubilee Highway/Penola Road roundabout. Police have charged the 19-year-old truck driver after the accident last Thursday. Picture: LEON RADEMEYER

THE 19-year-old driver of a truck that rolled over at Mount Gambier’s Jubilee Highway/Penola Road roundabout, has been charged with driving without due care.

Police yesterday confirmed the Victorian teenager has been reported and summonsed to appear in the Mount Gambier Magistrates Court.

The incident took place last Thursday at around 2.45pm and was described by witnesses as “sounding like an earthquake”.

The shaken driver was helped from the truck by bystanders, but was unscathed.

Mount Gambier resident Callum Jacques – who was sitting across the road at Frew Park – watched the dramatic incident unfold.

“The driver – who was heading from Jubilee Highway East – seemed to come around into the roundabout and swung it too fast and it just came down,” Mr Jacques told The Border Watch.

He said the truck’s wheels went over the kerb of the roundabout and it began to tip.

“The load started tipping and the truck toppled with it,” Mr Jacques said.

He said luckily the intersection was not congested at the time.

“There didn’t seem to be any cars behind at the time.”

Police and emergency services were at the scene in minutes and a crane arrived at around 5pm to lift the stricken truck – which was displaying P-plates – from the road.