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Director and driver slammed after conviction

Unroadworthy vehicle and gross overloading incident in South Australia leads to hefty fines and heavy criticism

April 15, 2013

South Australian transport authorities have lambasted the behaviour of two men involved in a Port Augusta transport company following successful prosecutions.

Department of Planning, Transport, and Infrastructure (DPTI) prosecuted Clem Hill Carrying Service Director Paul Berry, 40, of Port Augusta, in the Port Augusta Magistrates Court for his role in directing the use of a heavy vehicle found to be structurally unsound and dangerously overloaded.

Berry was fined $16,899 including costs while the driver, Michael Hickman, 39, of Port Augusta, was convicted for the severe mass breach and fined a total of $3,185, including costs, as well as having his licence disqualified for five weeks.

DPTI Vehicle Services Manager Ken Rickard says the collaboration between police, the department and industry personnel at the loading depot were critical in taking the vehicle off the road.

“Driving unregistered, uninsured, with no operating brakes or horn, is inexcusable in itself,” Rickard says.

“Let alone overloading that heavy vehicle so dangerously and placing other road users at risk.

“It is operators and drivers like this, in their minority, that place such a blight on the industry overall.

“We will continue to work on removing defective and unroadworthy vehicles to make our roads safer for all road users.”

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