POLICE have dropped the charges against a Queensland truck driver accused of the driving death of Guyra boxer Lenny Lawlor last year.
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Mr Lawlor was killed when he was struck by a B-double truck at 12.30am on October 17 on the New England Highway near Sandon St, Guyra.
Queensland truck driver Rodney Cosmo, 58, was charged with negligent driving occasioning death following the crash.
He did not appear in Armidale Local Court on Monday morning, when the matter was raised by local solicitor Rod Watt, who was acting as an agent for a Brisbane law firm.
“This is a matter the prosecution are withdrawing,” police prosecutor Senior Constable Cheryl Hall told the court.
“The matter is withdrawn and dismissed,” Magistrate Michael Holmes said.
Cosmo was taken to Armidale hospital for mandatory blood and urine tests following the crash.
Following investigations by the Northern Tablelands Crash Investigation Unit, he was later charged with negligent driving occasioning death.
He pleaded not guilty to that offence in December.
The matter last appeared before court in April, when solicitor Philip Cox asked Magistrate Holmes for a short adjournment to allow for extensive discussions between crash investigators and the prosecution.
Mr Lawlor’s death shocked the Guyra community, with residents creating a shrine to the popular former boxer on the roadside near where the incident occurred.
He was remembered as a passionate boxer and coach, and a well-liked identity.