A 30-year-old man will spend at least three years behind bars following a tragic fatal crash in December last year.
Navarone Maxwell Hill, having previously pleaded guilty, attended Bunbury District Court for sentencing on Wednesday, September 18.
The court was told the events of December 15, 2017.
Hill was the driver of a Holden Commodore travelling in a westerly direction on South Western Highway, Glen Iris around 5.30am.
Another male was in the passenger’s seat of Hill’s vehicle at the time.
Driving while under the influence of drugs, Hill veered gradually onto the opposite side of the road and collided with the front-driver’s side of a Mazda travelling in the opposite direction.
The Mazda came to a stop on the front garden of 124 South Western Highway close to the footpath.
Hill caused the death of the other driver, Robert Aumentado Gascon, as well as severe injuries to Mr Gascon’s passenger, Winifred Te Aroha Tai.
In my view, you drove with a selfish disregard for the safety of other users of the road.
- Judge Vicki Stewart
Prior to the crash, Mr Gascon had steered left in an attempt to avoid the oncoming Commodore.
The Commodore’s estimated speed at the time of the collision was 90 kilometres per hour.
Both cars were travelling in a 60km zone.
Mr Gascon was pronounced dead at the scene, while Ms Tai had to be cut from the vehicle and flown to Royal Perth Hospital.
The court heard Ms Tai spent 10 days in hospital and has since been unable to return to work.
A blood sample was taken from Hill at Bunbury Regional Hospital, testing positive for amphetamine, methamphetamine, and MDA.
According to defence counsel Michael Joubert, Hill had no recollection of drifting over to the wrong side of the road prior to the crash.
Referring to the victim impact statement from Ms Gascon’s wife, Judge Vicki Stewart said the incident had taken a toll on the deceased’s family.
Ms Stewart said an immediate term of imprisonment was the only way to contend with the matter.
“In my view, you drove with a selfish disregard for the safety of other users of the road,” she said.
Hill received a term of imprisonment totalling five years and two months – eligible for parole after three years, two months – and had his licence disqualified for four years.
The sentence was backdated to March 16, 2018.
Read more:
