By Chris Thomson | posted on December 7, 2018
A PRIME mover run by Plantagenet-based Southern Haulage was one of two trucks hit by what its owner calls ‘a bullet’ and what police call ‘a projectile’ along Albany Highway at McKail on Saturday.
Albany Detective Senior Constable Aaron Reichstein said it was not yet known what type of projectile hit the northbound semi and a southbound white Hino truck in separate incidents between noon and 1pm.
But Director of Southern Haulage Chris Pavlovich, who is also Plantagenet Shire President, reasoned the projectile came from a gun.
“We got shot by a bullet,” Mr Pavlovich said on Monday.
“The dent would be nearly 10mm at the door.
“It was a gun shot for sure.”
Mr Pavlovich said truck driver Danny Redlich was heading north on Albany Highway after dropping a load of wheat at the port when he heard a loud noise and thought he’d hit a big bird.
“It was a hell of a whack,” Mr Pavlovich said.
“The driver didn’t know what had happened.”
On Monday, after delivering another load of wheat to port, Mr Redlich showed The Weekender the dent on the passenger’s side door of Southern Haulage 1. The dent was about a centimetre wide, as described by Mr Pavlovich.
The projectile did not pierce the cabin.
“It seems as though someone got a .22 or something and is having a pot-shot at vehicles going past,” Mr Pavlovich said.
“We run 70-odd trucks, and have done for 55 years, and have never seen anything like this.
“It shouldn’t happen anywhere in Australia.”
Mr Pavlovich said the semi was hit while heading north between Rocky Crossing Road and Reddale Road, at lunchtime, about 12.30pm.
Det Snr Const Reichstein said both Mr Redlich and the Hino driver reported “a loud ‘bang’ similar to a rock hitting the vehicle, except a lot louder”.
“There’s nothing to indicate that this is an ongoing thing,” he said.
“It [appears to be] isolated at this point in time.
“Both these drivers are professional truck drivers but still it’s something they don’t expect to have happen to them and it was of course concerning to them.”
Det Snr Const Reichstein said anyone who had something similar happen to them recently, or with relevant dashcam footage, should call police.
“Any time an object hits a moving vehicle, it’s obviously of concern to us,” he said.
“It can have catastrophic outcomes for not only occupants of the vehicles but also other road users who are passing by.”
Det Snr Const Reichstein said neither projectile penetrated the trucks’ cabs, but the southbound Hino was hit on its driver’s side door.
Photo: Danny Redlich with the dent on his passenger’s side door. Image: Chris Thomson
