A PORTLAND truck driver who rolled his rig while his two children were unrestrained in the cabin has been fined $850.
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Gary Fitzpatrick, 39, of Wannon Street, pleaded guilty in the Warrnambool Magistrates Court to careless driving and failing to properly restrain his children in the prime mover.
He did not lose his licence.
Police said that on November 12 last year Fitzpatrick was carting woodchips on the Portland-Nelson Road with his two young children in the prime mover cabin.
He got distracted when one of the children asked him a question, lost control and the combination rolled, crashing into trees.
Other motorists helped them from the truck cabin.
Magistrate Peter Mellas said it was a difficult sentencing exercise as suspending Fitzpatrick's licence would only impact on his family and he was expected to lose his job.
"The children should not have been there," the magistrate told Fitzpatrick.
Defence counsel Alex McCulloch said his client's employer had wanted him to drive on that day even though Fitzpatrick had care of his children.