A Queensland novice driver was sentenced to at least one year in prison after her reckless driving caused severe brain injuries to a youngster.
On Monday, the Brisbane District Court was informed that on November 28, 2021, Madison Lorraine McKenzie, 23, of Redcliffe, was speeding with a blood alcohol level of 0.08 and without a supervising driver.
A two-year-old child was riding his bicycle along the side of Georgina Street in Woody Point, a coastal neighborhood north of Brisbane, with his parents and elder brother.
At approximately 4.10 p.m., the youngster drove his bicycle into the gutter and attempted to cross the street while his parents yelled at him to stop.
Then, driving a white Toyota Corolla hatchback at an estimated 61 to 68 km/h in a 50 km/h zone, McKenzie pulled onto the road and struck the boy.
The boy’s lips was frothing due to a traumatic brain injury, damaged ribs, and a broken femur.
McKenzie halted around 200 meters down the road and then ran back.
Please accept my apologies. I had dropped my phone and was scooping it up when I completely missed him. Does he still exist?’ She remarked on the scene.
McKenzie pled guilty last year to reckless driving resulting in grievous bodily harm, driving under the influence of alcohol to a medium level, and driving as a learner while unaccompanied.
Crown prosecutor Cameron Wilkins stated that, with the sun behind McKenzie at the time, the driving conditions were clear and the road was in good condition.
The boy’s mother told the court in her victim impact statement that her son’s potential had been “destroyed.”
She added, “Before November 2021, I was enjoying my finest life with two beautiful, healthy children, my spouse, and a good job.”
“Everything came crumbling down.” He can no longer speak, walk, or use the restroom independently. If his life is not cut short, he will require 24-hour care for the rest of his life due to his multiple seizures.
Penny White, McKenzie’s attorney, stated that her client had troubles with drugs and alcohol, had no prior criminal or traffic offenses, promptly confessed to causing the incident, and as a result, suffered from post traumatic stress disorder.
She stated, “Reaching for her cell phone appears to have been the proximate cause, as she was preoccupied and took her eyes off the road.”
McKenzie was sentenced to four years in prison and barred from driving for five years by District Court Chief Judge Brian Devereaux, who described her offense as more than a brief lapse in concentration.
Judge Devereaux stated, “No amount of punishment for you will make the boy better or lessen the family’s burden.”
This was an extremely risky instance of car operation. It is inevitable that you will end up in jail.
Judge Devereaux set the date of McKenzie’s parole eligibility to February 2024.
»Drunk L-plate driver jailed for one year after leaving toddler with severe brain injury«
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