Friends of a truck driver who died in a horror crash on Sydney Harbour Bridge are calling for better road safety on the iconic landmark.
Jamal Choukri, 44, died in the head-on crash on Thursday last week when a car in the opposite direction suddenly veered into his lane.
His best mate Soufiane Aguelmous told 9News Choukri was a hard-working and well-loved member of the community.
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“Everyone that knew him loved him,” Aguelmous said.
Aguelmous said he thought it was a “mistake” when he got the call Choukri had been killed.
Choukri was driving a white Hyundai Accent when a blue Hyundai i30 hatchback driving the opposite way on the bridge crossed into his lane.
The other male driver, 51, was also killed following the crash.
Moroccan-born Choukri, who moved to Australia in 1998, doesn’t have much family here and Aguelmous was called on to identify his friend to the authorities.
“It’s a mistake. It’s not him, it can’t be,” he recalled.
“I heard about that accident, it was in the afternoon, Jamal starts late… it must be a mistake.”
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Choukri usually worked the night shift and rarely crossed the bridge.
Aguelmous said it was a cruel twist of fate that his mate was killed on his way to work.
“Out of all people, for that to happen to him, it’s unbelievable,” he said.
“He’s passionate about trucks but he’s the most careful driver you’ll ever meet.”
It remains unclear what caused the car to veer over and kill Choukri, however, Aguelmous said something needed to be done to make the bridge safer.
“It’s almost like a Russian roulette bridge, it really is,” he added.
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The NSW government told 9News it was continuing to assess how it can deliver safety improvements.
NSW Police are also investigating what caused the car to drive onto the wrong side of the road.
Soufiane has also demanded a coroner’s inquiry into Choukri’s death.
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