Unaccompanied drunk learner driver sentenced for crash
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An unaccompanied drunk learner driver caused a three-car crash in the North Coast, a court heard.
Brandon John Williams, from Tweed Heads, appeared in Tweed Heads Local Court on last week to plead guilty to drink driving, negligent driving and driving as an unaccompanied learner.
The 19-year-old was driving a Ford Falcon carrying three other men travelling south on Kirkwood Rd in Tweed Heads South when he failed to negotiate a round about and had a head-on collision with a Holden sedan on November 13.
A Toyota Rav4 collided with the rear of his car, sandwiching the Ford.
All airbags in the three cars were deployed.
The driver of the Holden was taken to hospital suffering shock and a minor arm injury and the other driver required treatment for burns from their airbags.
Williams blew 0.087 and none of his three passengers held driver’s licences that allowed them to supervise a learner driver.
Defence solicitor Tenika Vakauta said the Chinderah steel labourer had only recently relocated to the area from Mildura.
She said speed was not a factor in the collision and her client was remorseful.
Magistrate Geoff Dunlevy said the police facts were “quite alarming” when he sentenced Williams on all charges.
Williams was convicted and disqualified from driving and fined a total of $900.
