Widow’s plea after Coromandel forestry truck death

Two businesses have been sentenced over the forestry road failures that killed Coromandel truck driver Greg Stevens in May 2023.
Greg Stevens, 59, died when his fully loaded logging truck and trailer rolled on a private forestry road near Thames. The road had no warning signs, road markers or berms, and its sharp corner was well outside the minimum standard for the vehicle he was driving.
The Thames District Court found forest owner Specialty Timbers (1987) Limited and transport contractor Trevor Masters Limited each assumed someone else was responsible for ensuring the road was safe. The court ordered reparations of $171,258 and a combined fine of $26,250.
In a victim impact statement, Mr Stevens’ widow Caroline told the court: “Greg’s death was preventable, and if those companies had done what they should have done, my Greg would still be with me today.”
Forest managers Forest360 Limited have separately agreed to invest over $400,000 in safety improvements under a binding undertaking with WorkSafe New Zealand.
Forestry has a fatality rate approximately 20 times higher than the average across all industries. WorkSafe says managing forestry roads is not optional, and operators must carry out proper risk assessment and controls before moving heavy vehicles through difficult terrain.
Source: WorkSafe New Zealand