Teen who wrote off car in crash was unsupervised learner driver
A TEENAGER who totalled her car after speeding through a residential Dunedin street ‘‘understands how lucky she is’’ to have walked away almost unscathed, a court has heard.
Danielle Taylor McCabe (18) appeared in the Dunedin District Court yesterday on a charge of dangerous driving after a spectacular crash in Brockville Rd on May 28.
The defendant drove her Honda uphill at speed and lost control rounding a right hand bend. McCabe crossed the centre line, causing another motorist heading in the opposite direction to take evasive action.
Trying to right her mistake led the defendant to spin and hit the grass bank of a property on the left side of the road.
She ploughed into a letterbox, along a path and careened on to the lawn of the neighbouring property.
The Honda rolled on to its roof and came to a rest against a tree, the court heard.
McCabe, a learner driver without appropriate supervision that afternoon, admitted to police she was speeding and lost control.
She and her boyfriend walked away with minor injuries, defence counsel Jo Turner said.
‘‘She understands how lucky she is,’’ Ms Turner said.
McCabe — a first offender — was banned from driving for six months and ordered by Judge David Saunders to attend a driver safety programme.
Reparation of $233 was also imposed.