A driver who ran the red light at the Capital City Trail crossing of St Georges Road in Fitzroy North and seriously injured a bike rider has been sentenced to nine months in prison.
Daniel Blight, of Queensland, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing injury.
At the time of the crash in September 2023, his driver’s licence was suspended and the presence of alcohol (.064) and benzoylecgonine (a major metabolite of cocaine) was detected in his blood.
Witnesses observed Blight, driving a Porsche Macan Turbo wagon, pulling out to overtake traffic when the light turned red.
He struck rider Saba Harrington, who was thrown into the air by the impact. A police crash reconstruction estimated the vehicle was travelling between 43 and 50km/h.
Harrington's injuries included fractures to her thigh bone and calf bone, traumatic brain injury, intracranial haemorrhage, various artery injuries and tears, aspiration pneumonia and post-traumatic amnesia.
She has spent more than three months in medical care recovering from traumatic brain injury and her rehabilitation continues.
In sentencing in the Melbourne County Court, Judge Claire Quin said Blight had an “appalling" driving record with 18 fines for speeding since 2019, plus recorded drugs and domestic violence offences and, at the time of the crash, was on a suspended five-month prison sentence.
She said had Blight not pleaded guilty she would have imposed a sentence of 18 months.
Or become our friend and subscribe to receive our fortnightly newsletter.