Cocktail for M1 disaster
Drugged-up on wrong-way death trip
A FORMER labourer high on “a cocktail of drugs”, including ice, killed a Chinese national when he collided with another car on the M1.
Jason Eugene Souter, 33, did not try to brake and was driving the wrong way on the Pacific Motorway at Pimpama just before 1am on June 2 last year when he killed Tiffany Yu in a horrific crash.
Xin Jin, who was driving the car while Ms Yu was in the back passenger seat, braked heavily trying to avoid Souter.
Souter, high on the drug ice, did not try to stop.
The father had an extensive traffic history including two drink-driving offences and 13 speeding fines.
Souter pleaded guilty in the Southport District Court yesterday to dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing death, driving without a licence and drug-driving.
Judge Catherine Muir sentenced Souter to seven-and-ahalf years’ prison.
He will be eligible for parole on March 10, 2021, and was also banned from driving for life. His sentence left Ms Yu’s family friend Kai Shi questioning the legal system.
“Seven-and-a-half years is not enough,” he said outside court.
“Certainly not for the family it’s not enough.”
He said Ms Yu had a promising career as a chartered accountant in Australia.
Mr Shi also provided a victim impact statement to the court on behalf of Ms Yu’s family, still in China.
He said it was Chinese custom for the children to look after their parents as they aged.
Souter’s actions had robbed her family of that.
The court was told Ms Yu’s grandparents had not been made aware of her death due to this custom.
Judge Muir said Souter should not have gotten behind the wheel. “You elected to drive when you were in no condition to do so and upon your driving you drove the wrong way on the M1 and that is, in my view, very serious reckless driving,” she said.
Judge Muir slammed his traffic history.
“It does reflect someone who shows a reckless attitude towards speed limits and driving under the influence and someone who shows persistent disregard for road rules,” Judge Muir said.
Crown prosecutor Natalie Lima told the court in the moments after the collision Ms Jin lost consciousness.
“(When she came to) she could see smoke and dust and called for help and called for (Ms Yu),” Ms Lima said. “(Ms Yu) sounded in a great deal of pain.”
Paramedics desperately tried to save Ms Yu but she died at the scene due to serious injures to her chest.
Ms Jin was left with broken bones, scratches, bruises and trying to deal with her friend’s death.
Ms Lima said moments before the crash Souter had swerved to avoid another car as he drove the wrong way down the M1.
He had been driving on the wrong side of the highway for more than a kilometre.
Souter’s barrister Nick McGhee said Souter had one son who he had not been able to see since the fatal crash.