A DRIVER who killed his mother in a car crash, leaving him estranged from his family, has avoided jail for the incident.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Wodonga man Edward Charles Robinson, 63, was recently sentenced in the County Court on a charge of dangerous driving causing death.
He had been travelling with his 84-year-old mother, Marie, from Wodonga to Wentworth on July 18, 2017.
The Toyota Lexcen station wagon drifted onto the wrong side of the Murray Valley Highway at Kotupna about 3.50pm.
Robinson over-corrected, causing the vehicle to rotate and travel down an embankment into a large tree, hitting it head-on.
It hit another tree and came to a rest.
His mother was seriously injured in the crash and died on the way to hospital.
Witness Matthew Clarke had been driving a truck from Echuca to Albury.
He saw the vehicle veer off the road at speed and saw dust and smoke from the collision.
"I just looked up and s--- myself and I over-corrected," Robinson told another witness.
Robinson, who had lived with his mother and cared for her before the crash, was also injured and needs to use mobility aids.
Judge Gerard Mullaly said the 63-year-old had been deeply affected by her death, which he said "was an example of momentary inattention which had catastrophic consequences".
Robinson felt harshly judged and isolated by his siblings, the court heard, and was dealing with the death of his mother and a sense of abandonment by the family.
One of the late woman's 13 grandchildren provided a victim impact statement.
Ms Robinson had been due to walk her down the aisle.
"Not having her, that is her grandmother, on the wedding day was very emotional and caused great sadness on what should have been the happiest day, or one of the happiest days, of her life," Judge Mullaly said.
"She feels now withdrawn from her extended family.
"She feels the emotional pain continues."
Robinson's sister had to identify their late mother, which she described as "heartbreaking".
The judge said taking a life by dangerous driving was a serious crime, but Robinson had low moral culpability.
He had been driving lawfully before the crash, within the speed limit, and did not have drugs or alcohol in his system.
Mr Mullaly said he hadn't been distracted by the use of a phone or adjusting the radio, had a clean record, and had been wracked with grief following the crash.
He imposed a community corrections order which will run for two years, and ordered Robinson undergo a mental health assessment as part of the order.
