A truck driver missed "very obvious" signs to slow down before crashing into the back of a stationary ambulance and killing two passengers, prosecutors have told a court.
Timothy Lee Wilson has pleaded not guilty to dangerous operation of a vehicle causing death over the fatal crash in central Queensland in October 2021.
On the first day of his District Court trial in Rockhampton, the prosecution told the court the truck Mr Wilson was driving hit the back of an ambulance while it was stopped at roadworks on the Capricornia Highway at Stanwell near Rockhampton.
Nurse Ray Wyeth and his patient Martyn House were in the back of the ambulance at the time of the crash and died.
A B-double truck parked in front of the ambulance was also damaged in the incident.
In his opening remarks, crown prosecutor Joshua Phillips told the jury that Mr Wyeth and Mr House had been travelling from Biloela, for a patient transfer, at the time of the incident.
Mr Phillips described the day of the incident as a "horribly fateful one" for the two men who died.
"Not even the reflector-stickered ambulance could save them that day," he told the court.
"This ambulance lit up like a Christmas tree was the last of several warnings that Tim Wilson missed as he travelled down the Capricorn Highway from Stanwell to Rockhampton."
Mr Phillips told the jury the accused had missed a "roadwork ahead reduce speed [to] 80 kilometres per hour" sign, another "60km an hour slow down" sign after that, then a "prepare to stop" sign, as well as a line of traffic cars, including the ambulance, stationary at the stop sign.
"He [Mr Wilson] missed the very obvious reasons to slow his heavy vehicle down, as those ahead of him had been able to do so," Mr Phillips said.
"This is a story of grossly culpable negligent driving, and that matter of driving costs Martyn House and Ray Wyeth their lives that sunny summer afternoon."
The court heard Mr Wilson's truck was carrying septic waste when the incident occurred.
Witnesses take the stand
Mr Phillips told the jury throughout the course of the trial they would hear from various witnesses, including officers who responded to the crash, fellow motorists who were in the vicinity at the time of the incident, truck drivers who had travelled through beforehand and the driver of the ambulance.
On Monday the jury heard from three witnesses, including Senior Constable Bryanne Kerr, who was the chief investigator of the collision.
Under questioning from Mr Phillips, Constable Kerr said the road where the incident occurred usually had a speed limit of 100 kilometres per hour.
She told the court on the day of the crash there was 570 metres between Bower Street, the intersection where the Stanwell store is located, and the first roadworks signs on either side of the highway, indicating motorists should slow down to 80 kilometres per hour.
She said there was then 475 metres to the "60km an hour slow down" sign, 118 metres from that to the "prepare to stop" sign and then 78 metres to the start of the tyre marks from the truck Mr Wilson was driving.
However, she said during her inspection of the scene following the crash, one of the signs, stating "workmen ahead" was face down, and she picked it back up.
During cross-examination of Constable Kerr, defence counsel Lachlan Ygoa-McKeown asked her if a person could have been braking before the location where tyre marks begin.
She said she could not determine whether there had been some "slow breaking" before the tyre marks.
Senior Constable Michelle Ramage told the jury that additional signs on the road, before the first reduce speed sign, could have been added after the crash.
"We couldn't tell if there had been any further signs that had been added before or after the crash," she told the court.
"I think they [police officers] were trying to put some temporary signs up to try and divert people after the crash."
The trial is expected to continue for another two or three days.
