‘Lost for words’: Grieving widow Joan Lopez Trimocha considers appeal after court fines Geraldton fatal crash driver Peter William Wheeldon $4000

A woman whose husband was killed at a Geraldton intersection described as “treacherous” will look at appealing a court decision in which a man was fined $4000. Armando Trimocha Jr died when his motorbike and a car driven by Peter William Wheeldon collided at the intersection of Brand Highway and Barrett Drive in Wandina in January. Early last week, Wheeldon, 45, pleaded guilty to careless driving occasioning death and on Wednesday in Geraldton Magistrate’s Court he was fined and lost his licence for three months. “I don’t know what to do . . . I am lost for words,” Joan Lopez Trimocha said. “Only $4000 for the life of my husband?” Mrs Trimocha was pregnant at the time of the accident and this weekend will baptise their six-month-old daughter, Amara. Next week she will meet lawyers to see what action can be taken over the court’s finding. “I just hope we can appeal to the court again,” Mrs Trimocha said. Magistrate Chris Miocevich described the road where the accident happened as dangerous. “My own experience is that road is dangerous. Eight crashes in the last five years at the site confirms this,” Mr Miocevich said. He found Wheeldon had limited culpability for the accident as the intersection was “confusing and treacherous”. “The punishment of causing death is more of a punishment than anything I could impose,” he said. “Unfortunately, this is something you will have to live with for the rest of your life, as will the family of Armando.” Mr Miocevich said the fine did not reflect the value of Mr Trimocha’s life, which was priceless. He said he took into account Wheeldon’s guilty plea, despite an arguable defence, which had spared Mr Trimocha’s family the trauma of a trial. Mr Miochevich said he took the guilty plea as true evidence of remorse. “My impression of you is a man in great pain and sorrow by the enormity of the circumstance,” he said. The crash occurred at 1.29pm on January 6 when Wheeldon, who was driving a black Nissan Navara with his two daughters in the back, pulled out on to Brand Highway from Barrett Drive. Defence lawyer Fiona Hugo said the intersection where the crash occurred contravened Australian standards because Brand Highway merged from two lanes to one. “By Australian standards, merging lanes should not be at an intersection,” she said. “This causes it to be dangerous.” She said Wheeldon had stopped at the stop sign and viewed three cars banked up which were waiting to turn left. Mr Miocevich said Wheeldon had not paid due care to the road before turning right on to Brand Highway. “I’m told by your counsel you looked and the motorcycle could have been obscured by turning traffic,” he said. “A proficient driver would have seen the motorcycle.” Outside of court, Wheeldon declined to comment.