Garbage truck driver David Ross Williams discovers his fate after running over Jackson Fogarty, 4, on the footpath
- Driver fined $2,500 for offence
- He struck the child while reversing a truck
- READ MORE: Mum run over and killed by a truck
The driver of a garbage truck which ran down and badly injured a kindergarten student while he was riding his scooter on a footpath, has been fined $2,500 for the offence.
David Ross Williams pleaded guilty to careless driving causing bodily harm at the Perth Magistrates Court on Thursday.
Williams, 55, drove his Veolia truck over a footpath next to a school in Scarborough, north-west Perth, at 8.13am on November 24.
The vehicle struck the boy while he was riding his push scooter near his horrified mother.
David Ross Williams (pictured, centre) was fined $2,500 after his garbage truck struck a kindergarten student in Scarborough, Perth in November last year
The boy suffered a fractured tibia as well as ligament damage to his neck and had to spend six weeks in a wheelchair as a result.
John Fogarty said his son spent a week in hospital and had to spend three days strapped down to his hospital bed.
'He wasn't able to move. He had to lay there looking at the roof,' he told The West Australian
'He's getting the help that he can at the moment, but this has affected his life forever.
'It's just something that time will heal but it's still occurred...it's never going to go away.'
The prosecution argued in court yesterday that Williams refused to provide details of the accident when speaking to police immediately after the accident.
While it was accepted that Williams did not intended to harm the child, the collision could have been avoided.
'It's near a school - a little bit more due diligence was needed on this occasion,' the prosecutor said.
Magistrate Donna Web acknowledged that Williams regretted his negligent driving, but said the result could have been much worse.
Williams was granted a spent conviction, which means a person convicted of a minor offence has served their time and the offender has been reformed.
His licence was disqualified for three months.
His lawyer Andrew Williams said his client was remorseful and unlikely to reoffend.
A spokesperson for Veolia told Daily Mail Australia the company has been made aware of the ruling handed down by the court against Williams.
'The driver is not currently driving, and he has been on leave since the initial court appearance,' the spokesperson said.
'We take community, employee and road safety seriously, and we wish the little boy and his family a smooth and speedy recovery.'
The rider appeared to be going behind the truck but didn't notice the trailer until the last moment (pictured)
