It was a Melbourne-to-Sydney haul he was never meant to take, but it ultimately became his last.
His friends and young brother are heartbroken on the realisation that "there isn't much of him to hold and cry over."
Sukhjinder Singh Sandhu, a 29-year-old Adelaide-based truck driver, died on Friday morning when his road train crashed on the Hume Highway, roughly 75km from Canberra. He died at the scene after the vehicle caught fire.
According to NSW Police, about 4.10am on July 17, 2026, emergency services were called to the northbound lanes of the Hume Highway at Breadalbane, about 32km south-west of Goulburn, near Breadalbane Road, following reports of a heavy vehicle crash and fire.
Fire and Rescue NSW responded and extinguished the fire, but both vehicles involved were completely destroyed.
Police confirmed that a B-double had broken down on the highway when the road train carrying aerosol cans, collided with the rear of the truck.
The 31-year-old driver of the B-double was treated at the scene for minor injuries before being taken to Yass Hospital. Mr Sandhu's remains were later located inside his burnt vehicle.
Mr Sandhu had arrived in Melbourne from Adelaide on Monday, June 13, 2026, to take the trip with the aerosol cans.
"It was not his load. He was covering for someone else. Never imagined that will be his last trip," Mr Sandhu's close friend Dalbir Singh told The Canberra Times from Melbourne.
The two friends had a jovial video call on Monday morning before Mr Sandhu bid adieu to his bestie.
"He said he was heading to Sydney with the load, which was a last-minute job," Mr Singh said. "He was engaged and had planned to get married to his fiancé as soon as his Permanent Residency (PR) visa came through, which was in its final stage."
On Friday morning, Mr Singh received the devastating news of his best friend's death.
An Indian national, Mr Sandhu arrived in Australia in January 2018 to pursue a master's degree. He turned to truck driving to support his family back home and fund his younger brother Amritpal's university studies in Melbourne.
"The family has lost their main pillar of strength and support," Mr Singh said.
Officers attached to the Hume Police District, with assistance from the Traffic and Highway Patrol Command, have launched an investigation into the fatal crash.
Meanwhile, Mr Sandhu's loved ones are grappling with the horrific reality of the accident.
"We are yet to see his remains. We were told he was burnt badly along with the truck. There isn't much of him to hold and cry over," an emotional Mr Singh said.
Family and friends are waiting on further information from NSW Police before deciding whether they can repatriate his remains to his home village in India. High costs may instead force them to fly his grieving parents to Australia for the funeral.
