Veteran truckie Wally P feared a reckless pushbike rider who collided with his bullbar was either seriously injured, or even deceased.

The 75-year-old truck driver was travelling very slowly on a downhill run through Coffs Harbour recently when the incident occurred.

“This pushbike rider had a hood on his head and earphones and he wasn’t looking and came out of nowhere and hit my bullbar,” Wally said.

“I feared the worst but he got up off the ground and took off. The only thing that saved him is I was going very slow.”

When I caught up with Wally recently he was sitting in the cabin of the Kenworth SAR Legend which he drives for Flowers Freightlines out of Brisbane: “This is SAR Legend number 44.”

Wally had carted a couple of tanks from Sydney to Townsville and had a backload to pick up.

A truckie since 1978, these days Wally is a casual driver and loves it. Although Wally doesn’t eat at roadhouses often, when he does, he likes sangas and mash.

“I don’t drink alcohol or smoke,” he said.

The worst road he has travelled on recently has been near Katherine in the Northern Territory.

As for rest areas, Wally said many more are needed for truckies.

“The good ones for us are a dime a dozen,” he said.

His favourite NRL team is the West Tigers who haven’t enjoyed the best of seasons with no hope of making the finals series.

However, Wally did have some joy a couple of days earlier when the West Tigers beat hot favourites the Sydney Roosters.

“I have supported them all my life,” he said.

Wally added that he had always wanted to appear on the pages of his favourite publication Big Rigs. “I never thought it would happen but now it has when I am 75,” he said.