DEATH DRIVER’S LIGHTS OFF, COURT TOLD:
THE driver who killed a teen motorcyclist on a dark country road west of Geelong last year allegedly did not have the lights of his 4WD switched on and had cannabis in his system, a court heard yesterday.
Victim Tyler Dean and his motorcyclist friend were also riding without lights, Geelong Magistrates’ Court was told.
Billy-Jay Glynn faces five charges, including allegations he drove dangerously or carelessly, failed to stop at the scene and offer assistance, and that he had cannabis in his system at the time of the fatal crash on Atkins Rd, Buckley, about 8.30pm on October 18.
A committal hearing to determine if those charges should be sent to a jury in the County Court started yesterday, with Mr Dean’s best friend Oaklee Leamer taking the stand.
Friends and family of both the defendant and victim sat through the proceedings yesterday, with grieving mum Jeynelle Dean-Hayes nursing a photo of her son all day.
Mr Dean and Mr Glynn, both of Winchelsea, were aged 18 and 21 respectively at the time of the crash.
Mr Leamer, 18, told the court he blamed Mr Glynn for the death of his mate.
He said he and Mr Dean were on their way to a friend’s house to “ride our motorbikes, probably smoke some bongs”, and admitted he had smoked cannabis before the ride, and later dropped a bag of the drug near the scene when police arrived.
But he said his judgment that night and recall of what happened was not affected.
“I know what I saw … I’m not fabricating,” he said.
He said he was ahead of Mr Dean when a dark Nissan Patrol approached from behind without its lights on and hit his friend, but he did not see the impact.
Moments later he felt the “gush” of the 4WD as it passed him travelling near the middle of the road.
“All I seen was a big bull bar. It could’ve been a small truck, it could’ve been anything,” Mr Leamer said.
Police arrested Mr Glynn later that night and seized his car the next day.
An officer from Victoria Police’s mechanical investiga- tion unit told the court the vehicle’s headlights and the LED lights on the bull bar were not working when he inspected it, saying that might have been caused by the fatal impact.
Outside court, Ms DeanHayes said she was heartbroken, and her trauma was made worse by seeing Mr Glynn driving in their town while out on bail.
She said her family had started a petition to ensure drivers on bail accused of serious driving offences would be kept off the road until their court case ended.
“We’re here for Tyler. A horrible incident happened and we lost him, and we’re here to give him a voice,” Ms Dean-Hayes said. “We’re just hoping when it all comes down to it justice is done.”
Mr Leamer told the court the “pit bike” he bought that day was simply “a cheap mo- torbike” with no lights or speedometer, and he and Mr Dean set off to show it to their friend “Spitty” that night.
When the fatal crash happened, he called “Spitty”, who arrived shortly after the first police on the scene.
“He (Spitty) hugged me, and I sat there, and I bawled my eyes out. I couldn’t really get much words out,” he said.
The committal hearing will continue today.