A MAN travelling at a “suicidal speed” of 178km/h with family members in his car hit a gum tree with such force it sheared it off at the base.
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Nicholas Stead’s driving has been described as “an act of breath-taking stupidity”, especially given his wife, baby and two teenage relatives were in the car.
He recently appeared before Judge Marilyn Harbison in the Wangaratta County Court after pleading guilty to one count of reckless conduct endangering life.
The judge noted that a prosecutor had suggested his behaviour was “equivalent to steering a missile”.
The incident occurred on June 26 last year on the Carraragarmungee Estate Road near Wangaratta.
Stead had been driving a Jeep Grand Cherokee on the road, which has unpredictable dips and rises.
The vehicle slid out of control, left the road, knocked over the gum tree, rolled several times and came to a rest about 70 metres from the road.
Somehow none of the people in the car were seriously injured despite the car being almost completely destroyed.
While Stead, a regular church attendee, has been caught speeding seven times before in NSW, none appeared to have been at high speed.
Judge Harbison said he had faced up to 10 years in prison.
“You were driving down that road at 178 km/h, almost twice the speed limit and a speed far in excess than that permitted on any Victoria road,” she said.
“It would have been an appalling speed on any four-lane freeway.
“It was self-evidently a suicidal speed on a narrow country road such as this.
“The incident, which I have described so far had all the makings of a terrible tragedy.
“However, miraculously, neither yourself nor any of your passengers were physically hurt to any significant degree.”
The judge had considered a jail term.
“A stern message must be sent to those who would travel at these senseless speeds as you did on that day,” she said.
“Such a sentence would send a very clear signal to the community of what they should expect if they are caught as you were.
“It is only the fact that you have a very limited criminal history, coupled with the excellent character evidence I have heard which has dissuaded me from doing so.”
Stead lost his licence for three years, must do 300 hours of community work and was fined $5000.