A police officer has described the scene of a three-truck crash south-west of Ballarat like a war zone.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The horrific crash on the Glenelg Highway at Carranballac, 65 kilometres west of Ballarat, killed a 37-year-old South Australian truck driver.
Iqbal Singh, 30, was charged with dangerous driving causing death. The Indian citizen applied to be released on bail at the Ballarat Magistrates' Court on Wednesday.
Police informant Leading Senior Constable Steve Mottram, of the major collision investigation unit, said Singh was driving a truck carrying grain east on the Glenelg Highway at 4.53pm on May 12.
He said six kilometres from where the crash occurred, Singh slowed down and a rigid truck over took him.
The rigid truck then approached a tractor, which was also travelling east at a slow speed, but it wasn't clear enough for the truck to overtake the tractor.
Leading Senior Constable Mottram said due to the tractor's slow speed, Singh caught up to the rigid truck but failed to change his speed.
He said Singh's truck hit the rigid truck, which crashed into a paddock, and Singh drove onto the wrong side of the road.
A third truck carrying containers was travelling west on the highway and the two trucks collided, causing major damage with both chassis torn off.
Leading Senior Constable Mottram said the driver of the container truck died while Singh released himself from the truck cabin.
He received minor injuries and was airlifted to the Royal Melbourne Hospital as a precaution and for treatment.
The driver of the rigid truck, a man aged in his 40s, was transported to the Ballarat Base Hospital.
Identification of the man killed has not yet been completed.
Leading Senior Constable Mottram said investigations were continuing into Singh's failure to see the container truck, including mobile phone distraction or fatigue.
He said a blood analysis would not be available until at least eight weeks and a full analysis of the three trucks would be conducted.
There is a potential Singh could be charged with more offences.
"It would have to be up there with one of the worst scenes I have seen.
- Leading Senior Constable Steve Mottram
"It was like a war zone, there was wreckage everywhere," said Leading Senior Constable Mottram, who has been a police member for 22 years.
"Mr Singh is incredibly lucky to be alive. To experience something like that, yes, it would be seriously traumatic."
Singh was arrested while under police guard in hospital and he was discharged on May 15 and taken to a police station where he made a no comment interview.
The court was told Singh had been granted a visa in June last year which allowed him to lawfully work in Australia.
He had been employed for two months to transport grain from Westmere to Geelong before the crash occurred.
Singh's employer told the court Singh was a loyal and honest man who always attended work on time.
Leading Senior Constable Mottram said police were concerned Singh was a flight risk because of his transient nature, which included having four addresses.
He said Singh had lived in Queensland for two weeks while he obtained a heavy truck licence but police could not confirm he lived at the three other addresses.
Singh had a Melton address which appeared to be abandoned. But Singh's lawyer said Singh was setting the house up for his fiance, who he was marrying in June.
The lawyer said Singh had stable accommodation in Cobram, strong family support and could hand in his passport. He said security was tight at airports and it was difficult to fly to India.
Magistrate Letizia Torres will hand down her decision on Friday and remanded Singh in custody.
He appeared via a video link from custody for Wednesday's hearing and required an interpreter.
If you are seeing this message you are a loyal digital subscriber to The Courier, as we made this story available only to subscribers. Thank you very much for your support and allowing us to continue telling Ballarat's story. We appreciate your support of journalism in our great city.