Crash woman guilty
TARA mum Donna Nichole Stevens was driving along Chinchilla Tara Rd with four passengers when she lost control of the car and crashed into a tree.
Three men were killed. Soon after impact, the Commodore burst into flames.
More than a year after the tragedy, Stevens pleaded guilty to dangerous operation of a vehicle causing death while adversely affected by intoxicating substances and leaving the scene without obtaining help. The Dalby District Court heard on August 19 Stevens intended to dispute the drugs in her system adversely affected her on the night, but that changed the following week when she pleaded guilty to the charge on August 25.
Two best friends from Tara, aged 35 and 36, and a 40-yearold man from Dalby tragically died at the scene on May 21, 2020.
Stevens, 43, spent more than a week on life support after she was dragged from the wreckage by the surviving front seat passenger, a 49year-old man from Tara who sustained minor injuries.
The death of Clinton Thompson left four children without a father.
In 2017, the Tara father with a “heart of gold” was critically injured in a serious crash and miraculously pulled through, proving medical specialists wrong – only to be killed in the crash years later.
Another victim Casey Porter was remembered by family and friends as a cheeky daredevil who adored his nieces and nephews and would do anything to help out when needed. The Stevens matter was set aside to be mentioned in court on September 2, and no date has yet been set for sentencing.