Truck driver found guilty of causing cousin's death in crash

Penrith truck driver Mosa Vaimalu has been found guilty of dangerous driving that resulted in a crash that claimed the life of his cousin and seriously injured two other people in 2024. The crash on Bulli Pass, a notorious feeder road south of Sydney, triggered a massive emergency response. What's next? Prosecutors have applied to detain Vaimalu in custody, with a hearing to take place on September 10. A removalist truck driver has been found guilty of driving dangerously before a crash on a notorious feeder road, north of Wollongong, killing his cousin and seriously injuring two others. Penrith man Mosa Vaimalu, 42, was found guilty by a jury on Thursday of driving dangerously occasioning death and two counts of driving dangerously occasioning grievous bodily harm, related to the Bulli Pass crash near Thirroul on February 6, 2024. Vaimalu's co-worker and cousin, Mikaio Isaako, 43, died at the scene. Mikaio's younger brother, Robert Isaako, 40, and a female driver of a BMW were airlifted to hospital with serious injuries. The impact of the crash caused the Isaako brothers, who were not wearing seatbelts, to be thrown through the front windscreen. Horror crash The court heard Vaimalu and his cousins worked at the Bankstown-based removal business DJacks. About 1:46pm, Vaimalu was travelling southbound on Bulli Pass in a Hino Pantech truck, with his cousins seated beside him, when he hit the brakes and went through a guardrail on a hairpin bend, landing at the bottom of an embankment. The truck crashed into a BMW that was being driven by a 40-year-old Canberra woman who was waiting to turn left at the intersection. The crash triggered a massive emergency response, with the woman trapped in her car. Vaimalu, Robert, and the woman were airlifted to hospital for treatment, while Mikaio died at the scene. Robert suffered serious head and leg injuries, while the woman was airlifted unconscious and later underwent brain surgery. One side of the truck was ripped off in the impact, with debris observed spilling from the overpass onto the street below. Vaimalu was arrested on March 12, 2024 after he was discharged from hospital. The two key issues disputed by Vaimalu were whether he failed to select a low enough gear, and whether he was travelling over the speed limit. The court heard from several witnesses throughout the trial, including from motorists who testified Vaimalu was travelling above the speed limit and braked heavily, causing the truck to go onto two wheels while navigating the bend. Judge Lara Gallagher thanked the jury members for taking their roles seriously during the two-week trial at Sydney's Downing Centre District Court. "It's clear to me how closely you paid attention to the evidence throughout this trial," she said. The judge also acknowledged how difficult this matter must also be for Vaimalu's family. Vaimalu remains on bail, however, the Crown will apply to detain him in custody on September 10 ahead of his sentencing, for which a date is yet to be determined.