Fatal crash driver free

Woman burdened by role in tragedy

THE family of an eight-yearold Gold Coast girl killed in a horror crash says justice has not been served after the driver escaped jail time.

Leona Pauline Paraha, a 69-year-old grandmother and teacher at the young victim’s school, fell asleep while driving from the Gold Coast to Bundaberg for a netball carnival on September 14 last year.

The inattention caused the car she was travelling in, with young Olivia Douglas and another child, to veer into oncoming traffic and collide head-on with a ute.

Shane Old, 52, the ute’s driver, and Olivia died at the scene. Paraha and the other child suffered minor injuries.

Paraha pleaded guilty to driving without due care and attention causing death.

Yesterday, Magistrate Terry Duroux sentenced her to five months’ jail, wholly suspended, and disqualified her from holding a licence for 12 months.

Olivia’s family, who had been travelling in a different car kilometres behind Paraha when the crash occurred, said justice had not been served.

“We were told very early on not to expect justice out of this,” stepfather Tim Stark said.

“You can’t help but be disappointed still,” Olivia’s mother Tegan Mitchell said.

Mr Old’s stepfather Kevin Tyson said there were no winners: “We’ve all lost terribly. We’re suffering, she’s suffering, but life’s got to go on. Both families are devastated.”

Paraha said she thought of Mr Old and Olivia every day.

“All I can say is how terribly sorry I am that this tragic thing happened,” she said.

A psychologist’s report stated Paraha would be forever burdened by the tragedy and said she had been attending weekly counselling to address her grief and shame.