62-year-old truck driver Philip Holt died in a workplace accident in Tākaka on September 14, 2021, when his truck rolled downhill and pinned him against another vehicle.
Known for his meticulous attention to safety, Holt had long expressed concerns about safety standards at Solly’s Freight, including inadequate training, poorly maintained equipment, and unqualified drivers. His unease was so great that he had applied for a new job shortly before his death.
On the day of the incident, Holt was tasked with driving a truck he had not used before, which had a faulty handbrake alarm. When he parked the truck on a decline, it began to roll, leading to the tragic accident. Coroner Mary-Anne Borrowdale attributed Holt’s death to high-force crush injuries, citing uncharacteristic errors likely caused by confusion over the faulty alarm system.
Borrowdale’s findings criticised Solly’s Freight for unclear vehicle inspection protocols and recommended improvements, including mandatory checks of safety systems. She ruled Holt’s errors were inconsistent with his safety-conscious nature, pointing to the faulty alarm as a contributing factor.
Investigations by Worksafe and the Serious Crash Unit have also taken place.
Image credit: Getty Images
This is very sad indeed. With all the talk of “green” and “clean” transport, reality has been forgotten. My sincere condolences to Mr Holt’s family.
Solly’s is a big outfit
He wouldn’t be the first driver to get out and leave the park brake off
Aggravated by the fact some drivers are working up to 14+ hours per day often without stopping for breaks which is prevalent among logging
Early starts long days fatigue dehydration
Trucking is a great job but it is the hours that also make it very hard on relationships
I have a 1987 class 2 camper truck with no alarm and none of my vehciles have por have hand brake alarms. I have had an HT license (now class 2 & 4) since 1978 and in over 50 years I have not had a vehcle roll down a hill because I always remember to use the goddam handbrake and VERIFY it is on and don’t get out of the vehvile until I am sure it is. I always use chocks whenever I am in doubt or on steep hills especially off road and many building and other sites require them to be used too.
Looks like he might have been one of the “safety Concerns” he was complaining about, tragic but it happens. Relying on alarms, dings, dongs and flashing lights leads to this; elctronics do not increase safety, they increase dependency.