Everything we know about the tragic crash near Penola that claimed the lives of Catherine and Trevor Schutz

A Suttontown couple was tragically killed in a horror crash outside Penola on Easter Sunday, and a 51-year-old Coonawarra man has been charged with causing it. Here’s what we know.

The Limestone Coast community is still reeling after a horror crash on Easter Sunday claimed the lives of Suttontown couple Catherine and Trevor Schutz, 54 and 62.

The fatal collision also left two others with serious injuries, and 51-year-old Coonawarra man Shane Leistra charged with the carnage.

Here’s everything we know so far about the devastating double-fatal crash.

Sunday, March 31

Just after 5:15pm on Easter Sunday, police and emergency services were called to the Riddoch Highway and Three Mile Lane intersection just outside of Penola following reports that a Ford sedan, a Ford ute and a Tesla had collided.

Crash scene near Penola where two people died. Picture: Jalisa Anahera Bateman-Davis

A Mount Gambier local who witnessed the crash said the ute involved “was like a bowling ball”.

“(The ute) tapped the Tesla and it spun out and then took out the sedan, debris went absolutely everywhere,” Jalisa Anahera Bateman-Davis, 31, said.

“I couldn’t believe it happened, I was in complete and utter shock.”

Ms Bateman-Davis said moments after the “horrific” crash she pulled over and called the police, then got out of her vehicle to help the people in the Tesla.

She said other people on the scene got out of their cars to help the people in the sedan, but “they were gone”; the couple in the vehicle had sadly died at the scene.

Crash scene near Penola where two people died. Picture: Supplied

Crash scene near Penola where two people died. Picture: 7NEWS Adelaide

The driver of the Tesla, a 42-year-old woman, and her 69-year-old female passenger, both from Victoria, were taken to hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.

The sole occupant of the Ford ute, a 51-year-old Penola man, was taken to hospital for minor injuries and later arrested and charged with two counts of cause death by dangerous driving and two counts of causing harm by dangerous driving. He was refused bail and appeared in the Mount Gambier Magistrates Court on Tuesday April 2.

Tuesday, April 3

The couple tragically killed in the crash have been identified as Trevor and Catherine Schutz from Suttontown, Mount Gambier.

Local residents have told The Advertiser the couple had been living at their Suttontown property for more than 20 years and both had a role in working on it.

It is also understood they had involvement in the local Lutheran church and are survived by two daughters.

Locals said the pair were “very nice people”, and a tribute on social media said they were “down to earth, decent, (and) friendly people” who were “always up for a chat”.

Trevor Schutz from Suttontown, near Mount Gambier. Picture: Facebook

Their deaths were the 22nd and the 23rd lives lost on SA roads this year.

The driver of the ute who allegedly caused the crash was 51-year-old Shane Leistra from Coonawarra.

The Advertiser understands Mr Leistra had just finished working a shift in Portland on the day of the crash and was driving home when the tragedy occurred.

He appeared in the Mount Gambier Magistrates Court via phone link from hospital on Tuesday, charged with two counts of cause death by dangerous driving and two counts of cause serious harm by dangerous driving.

Defence counsel for Mr Leistra, of Coonawarra, applied for bail on his client’s behalf, with prosecution not opposed.

A police prosecutor told the court Mr Leistra, showed little remorse at the crash scene.

“The defendant, at the time … had shown a lack of remorse,” the prosecutor said. “I can’t comment on why that’s the case … it could be a number of reasons.”

The prosecutor asked for a bail condition to be imposed barring Mr Leistra from driving a car for the next 12 months.

They also said there was concern that Mr Leistra might suffer “repercussions” from the local community.

“There’s no specific threat, that I know of, against this defendant, (but) someone may know the deceased in this matter,” she said.

Mr Leistra was released on and will next appear in the Mount Gambier Magistrates Court in November.

The police prosecutor said in court “hopefully (an accident like) this will never happen again.”

Scene of a double fatal accident at Penola in the South East. Picture: Eva Blandis