Towie who crashed car took it away

A TOW truck driver who crashed his new utility on a Toowoomba street then towed it away from the scene before police arrived has been fined and ordered off the road.

James Albert Adam was showing a mate the $30,000 utility he bought two days earlier during a drive on Holberton St about 10.30pm, June 15, Toowoomba Magistrates Court heard.

Heading north between Bridge and North streets, the 32-year-old accelerated up the hill, leaving tyre marks on the road, but lost control, swerving onto the wrong side of the road before overcorrecting and spinning onto the right side of the road but facing the other way.

The utility then mounted the kerb, hit a power pole, which sent it into a spin again, police prosecutor Tahlia Boettcher told the court.

Adam called another friend to pick them up and they drove to a nearby Fitzpatrick St residence where Adam jumped into a tow truck and returned to the crash scene to load the ute before police arrived, Ms Boettcher said.

When spoken to by police, Adam repeatedly denied driving the utility, telling officers his ute had been stolen. However, after further questioning, he came clean with police and said he was the driver and that he was showing his mate the vehicle which he bought two days earlier, Ms Boettcher said.

Adam pleaded guilty to one count of dangerous operation of a motor vehicle.

His solicitor Andrew Wiseman said his client claimed the vehicle had lost traction on the road between gear changes.

He panicked, his first thoughts being to get a tow truck to take the ute away from the crash scene.

Adam had been working two jobs as a tow truck driver and disability support worker and had since obtained work as a house stumper, he said.

The loss of driver’s licence would have a significant impact on his client as he would not be table to work as a tow truck driver or drive to sites for his other work, Mr Wiseman submitted.

Acting Magistrate Roger Stark fined Adam $1200 and disqualified him from driving for six months but ordered the conviction not be recorded.