Traffic management company charged after Lawloit road worker killed by truck

Incident Overview

A 55-year-old worker died after a passing truck struck him on the Western Highway at Lawloit, between Kaniva and Nhill in western Victoria. In a 2 November 2026 release, WorkSafe Victoria said it had charged traffic management company BCivil Recruitment Pty Ltd over the roadside fatality. The charges are allegations, not findings of guilt.

Workplace, Location and Time

The worker and a co-worker were packing up road signage in January 2025 when the truck struck him. WorkSafe did not give an exact incident day or time. Its release does not identify the worker’s employer, so this account does not attribute his employment to BCivil Recruitment.

Fatality and Immediate Outcome

The worker died at the scene. WorkSafe did not provide further information about the truck driver, emergency response or any other injuries.

Investigation and Charges

BCivil Recruitment faces two charges under Victoria’s Occupational Health and Safety Act. WorkSafe alleges the company failed to provide and maintain a safe system in which signs and devices were attended to in the direction of travel, signs on one side of the road were handled before those on the other, and workers did not cross live traffic. It also faces a charge under section 23(1) concerning risks to people other than its employees.

As at WorkSafe’s 2 November release, the matter was listed for a filing hearing in Horsham Magistrates’ Court on 4 November 2026. The regulator’s release reports charges only; it does not report a court decision on them.

Why We Report Workplace Accidents

We record workplace deaths and the regulator action that follows to keep attention on the risks faced by people working beside moving traffic. This case raises questions for the court about how roadside signs were removed; the alleged safety failures have not been determined.