Truck driver suffered diabetic episode before rest stop crash that killed girl, court hears

A truck driver suffered a diabetic episode before his B-double lost control and slammed into a rest stop in the Macarthur Region of NSW, killing a young girl, a court has heard.

Today, Brendan Lidgard, the man behind the wheel when the truck crashed in Menangle, injuring three others, went on trial.

The court was told Mr Lidgard, who has been living with diabetes for nearly 30 years, allegedly self-prescribed an extra dose of insulin about an hour before the crash.

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On July 10, 2020, the B-double he drove for concrete company Boral was seen swerving along the Hume Highway for up to two kilometres.

Other vehicles tried to stop the vehicle from careering into the rest stop, but the truck slammed into a tree, a pole, and three cars – killing an eight-year-old girl and seriously injuring three adults.

Today the court heard Mr Lidgard was on a regime of four doses of insulin a day but about an hour before the crash, he allegedly prescribed himself a fifth, which caused a hypoglycemic episode while behind the wheel.

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Prosecutor Monica Knowles argued the father had a history of diabetic shocks and knew the risks of taking too much medication.

During an interview with police, Mr Lidgard allegedly admitted to giving himself the extra insulin to balance out a snack and the beers he anticipated drinking when he got home.

He has pleaded not guilty to four charges, including dangerous driving occasioning death.

His defence will be revealed tomorrow.