‘Crash scene like a TAC ad’
DRUNK DRIVER’S MIRACLE ESCAPE
A PAINTER who walked, unharmed, from a highspeed crash on Geelong’s Western Beach Rd took a hit in the hip pocket in court yesterday.
Troy Stewart was drunk and driving at 140km/h in a 50km/h zone when he crashed into a parked car two minutes from his Drumcondra home.
The smash happened at 1am on September 9.
Prosecutor Senior Constable Jacki Davis told Geelong Magistrates’ Court yesterday the crash scene was like a TAC advertisement without the tragic ending, and the driver should count himself lucky.
Photos Sen-Constable Davis tendered to court showed Stewart’s work ute on its roof down the road from the point of impact, with paint spread across Western Beach Rd.
The parked car was struck with such force it ploughed through a brick fence and was found teetering on the broken barrier, more than 13m from where it was hit.
The court heard Stewart, 37, had no memory of the crash, but was not hurt.
Police tested his blood alcohol concentration 45 minutes after the crash, finding it was 0.128.
He pleaded guilty to counts of dangerous driving and drink driving yesterday.
The court heard the driver earlier had watched Geelong lose its AFL qualifying final against Richmond with friends, starting drinking at the Elephant & Castle Hotel before moving to a home in East Geelong.
He was driving home to Drumcondra when he lost control of the utility, but told officers he had no idea what speed he was doing or where the crash happened.
Lawyer Paul Reynolds questioned the accuracy of police findings that the man was doing “at least 140km/ h”, saying there were no witnesses, radar or laser readings to prove the claim.
“It’s an estimation by someone who’s come along half an hour later with a ruler,” Mr Reynolds said.
Sen-Constable Davis said the officer responsible for the estimation had 26 years’ experience in the field.
“It’s a scientific calculation that’s been proven right time and time again,” she said.
Magistrate John Lesser said: “You only need to look at the car over the fence to realise it had to be significant speed.
“To say you’re incredibly lucky is an understatement.”
Mr Lesser heard Stewart had twice been caught drink driving, but the offences were more than a decade ago.
Mr Reynolds said his client understood his good fortune.
“The potential for what he did could’ve been catastrophic,” he said.
He said the financial cost for the man had already been considerable, as his $17,000 ute and the other car, valued at $7000, were both written off.
He had not been asked to pay any money for the damage to the fence, but the automatic loss of his licence had limited his ability to work as a self-employed painter, and he had since moved away from Geelong, the court heard.
Mr Lesser added to the man’s financial woes, fining him $2500 and disqualifying him from holding a Victorian driver’s licence for 14 months.