Chapman Valley Road fatal crash: 51-year-old man charged with dangerous driving occasioning death

A Yuna man has been charged over a fatal crash that killed a cement truck driver when two heavy haulage vehicles collided on Chapman Valley Road in April. A 51-year-old man was charged with one count of dangerous driving occasioning death and made his first appearance in Geraldton Magistrates Court on Thursday. A cement truck and a tractor towing a seeder collided on Chapman Valley Road about 5.20am on April 28 near Nobla-Rockwell and Balla-Whelarra roads in Yuna. Major crash officers investigated after the 51-year-old cement truck driver received critical injuries and died at the scene. Police said at the time that the 51-year-old man driving the tractor was uninjured and a 20-year-old woman, who was a passenger in the cement truck, was taken to Geraldton Health Campus for treatment for shock. Major crash investigation squad Det-Sgt Kevin Wisbey said the tractor was allegedly towing farming machinery and part of the investigation was to determine whether the load was oversized or not. “It was a New Holland tractor towing an air seeder and a seeder bar,” he said. Det-Sgt Wisbey said police were alleging the 51-year-old man was at fault but could not comment on the specifics while it was before court. A police spokesperson described a seeder bar as a “big plough piece of equipment with large metal spikes on it”. Darryl James Andrews appeared in court on Thursday when the case was adjourned by consent. He is due to reappear in Geraldton Magistrate Court on August 25.