Heartache as teen alleged driver faces court over triple fatality that claimed Millicent family

A grieving Millicent family has come face-to-face with the young driver accused of causing the deaths of three of their loved ones.

The 16-year-old charged over the deaths of three people the Mount Gambier Magistrates Court. Picture: Kathryn Bermingham

A heartbroken Millicent family say they hope laws will change after they came face-to-face with the teenager charged with the deaths of three of their loved ones today.

The 16-year-old faced court in Mount Gambier for the first time and was allegedly behind the wheel of a Landcrusier when a head-on crash claimed the lives of Ned Walker, 80, his wife Nan Walker 77, and their daughter Sue Skeer, 55 and on the outskirts of the city in November last year.

Members of the victims’ family gathered outside the courthouse with Kerri-Lee Bromley, who lost her parents and sister in the crash, and described the past few months as an “absolute nightmare”.

Kerri-Lee Bromley, daughter of Ned and Nan Walker, sister of Sue Skeer and Amy Haines, granddaughter of Nan and Ned Walker and daughter of Sue Skeer, outside the Mount Gambier Magistrate Court. Picture: Jessica Ball

“We wanted to come and see (the proceedings),” she said.

“Nothing’s going to change what’s happened but by moving forward with this we can try and change it so someone else’s doesn’t have to go through this.”

The grieving family is demanding justice for three much-loved community members, placing a sign at the crash site ahead of this afternoon’s court appearance.

Nan Walker and daughter Sue Skeer all from Millicent were killed in a head-on collision near Mount Gambier in November last year. Picture: Supplied by the family

Ms Bromley said current laws were not good enough.

“I don’t think any 16-year-old is capable of driving a V8 Landcruiser, five months with learners and no lessons as such,” she said.

“It’s just too big an ask, it’s too much pressure on any kid to be doing that and you’re putting them in charge of a lethal weapon.

“There’s such strict gun laws yet a kid can get behind the wheel of something that kills more people every year than guns.

The teen appeared in the Youth Court charged with three counts of cause death by dangerous driving and four counts cause harm by dangerous driving.

Magistrate Maria Panagiotidis adjourned the case while a major crash investigation report is prepared and negotiations occur.

She continued his bail to reappear in May.

Millicent's Ned and Nan Walker were killed in a head-on collision alongside daughter Sue Skeer near Mount Gambier in November. Picture: Supplied by the family.