Wetherill Park truck crash: Leonia Picone’s family reveal how they really feel about the truck driver being released without charge – after shocking video emerged

The family of a single mother who was hit and killed by a truck in front of her L-plater son are “angry” and “outraged” after the driver was released without charge.

Leonia Picone, 55, was teaching her son, 17, to drive in Wetherill Park, western Sydney, at about 6.30am on Wednesday when a lorry reportedly crashed into her Ford Mondeo.

Video footage showed the moment Ms Picone got out of her car and stood in front of the 2015 Kenworth Prime Mover truck to get the driver’s attention.

Moments later, he sped up and hit her — in front of her teenage son. Mrs. Picone could not be saved.

The lorry driver, 51, was taken to hospital for examination but was released without charge pending further police inquiries.

Speaking to Daily Mail Australia, a source close to the family said her loved ones are “in shock”.

“And now that no charges have been brought, they are even more outraged and angry about the way this is possible,” they said.

Veteran lorry driver Aaron Farquhar, who has been driving semi-trailers for 13 years, told Daily Mail Australia on Thursday that Ms Picone had unknowingly stood in the driver’s forward-facing blind spot.

“I can tell you now that he wouldn’t have seen her,” he said.

“You have to understand that we are very high up and far from the dashboard.

“Someone standing in front of the truck won’t be seen and if we hit him you won’t even feel him because of all the vibrations and weight of the truck.”

Mr Farquhar said small cars stopped in front of him at traffic lights, but the only reason he knew they were there was due to sensors on the front of his lorry – which alerted him to potential collisions.

Leonia Picone, 55, is pictured standing in front of a truck just before she was hit and killed

Friends and family went to the scene on Wednesday to pay tribute to the single mother following the tragedy

Without such sensors, drivers would have to take off their seatbelts, get up and press their faces against the glass to see what’s directly in front of the truck.

“This was an absolutely freak accident and the driver will suffer immensely from what happened,” he said.

“The woman was not informed about what and how trucks work and about our field of vision, and therefore she made a very fatal decision about this.

“As a driver of heavy vehicles and knowing exactly what it’s like to be behind the wheel of one of these vehicles, I can confidently say that this driver was not at fault.”

Following Ms Picone’s death on Wednesday, a crime scene has been set up and will be investigated by specialist officers from the Crash Investigation Unit.

A report will be prepared for the coroner.