Crash victim fights for life
Driver bailed, police suspect drugs
THE banned driver accused d of causing a serious crash at t Leopold on Saturday morning faced court yesterday y accused of speeding, run- ning a red light and carrying ng drugs.
While a 77-year-old man’s an’s life hangs in the balance because of the incident, accused sed driver Dean Castven escaped ped almost unharmed and was granted bail yesterday.
Geelong Magistrates’ Court heard the 21-year-old told police he was running late for work on Saturday morning and was doing at least 100km/ h in a 70km/h zone when he made a conscious decision to ignore the red light on the Bellarine Highway at Melaleuka Rd.
The court heard he admitted thinking to himself “f--- it, I’ll go through” moments before T-boning the driver’s side of the older man’s car.
Mr Castven lives with his parents in Grovedale. But his father, Adrian, told court he did not know his son’s driver’s licence was suspended in October.
An engineer at Ford, Adrian Castven said the Ford Mondeo his son wrote-off in Saturday’s crash was leased through his employer. He offered a $5000 surety to help secure bail.
Mr Castven was taken to Geelong Hospital under police guard after the crash at 7am Saturday, but was remanded at the city’s police cells Sunday.
He presently faces charges of negligently causing serious injury, dangerous driving causing serious injury and driving disqualified.
However Detective Senior Constable David Morris, of the major collision investigations unit, said the charges against the 21-year-old would change if the elderly victim died, and pending results of substances found in his car, believed to be drugs.
Sen-Constable Morris said the elderly man had head and chest injuries, broken ribs and a smashed pelvis. He said medicos at The Alfred hospital told the man’s family an infection or heart condition would likely prove fatal for him at this deli- cate stage.
“Everything has to go right … it’s a precarious position he’s in at the moment,” the detective said.
“(Mr Castven was doing) over 100km/h into his driver’s side door, so it was a significant impact.
“He (Mr Castven) received no injuries, other than some soreness.”
Police are waiting on blood tests to determine if the young driver had drugs in his system, but the court heard a pinkish crystal substance and two tablets were found in his wallet and car, along with cut pieces of straw and a $10 note “rolled up into a cylinder”.
Sen-Constable Morris said it was believed the substances were amphetamine and ecstasy, but they are yet to be tested.
Adrian Castven said his son did not come home Saturday, so he started phoning friends on Sunday, and only learned about the crash when he contacted police and they confirmed his son was in custody.
He said he’d drive his son to his job as a concreter and would report him to police if he took drugs or drove while on bail.
Sen-Constable Morris said witnesses to the crash had come forward and police now had some video footage.
He opposed the applicant’s bid for bail, saying he was worried he’d continue driving or flee the state.
“My biggest concern is the safety of the community,” he said.
But magistrate John Lesser granted bail, ordering Mr Castven return to court on March 1.