Dwayne Kajanto fined $3000 for negligent driving on River Murray and ‘significantly’ injuring young girl

An experienced boatie – who had been drinking – has apologised for hitting a young girl at high speed and causing “significant” injuries.

An experienced boatie has been fined $3000 for hitting and “significantly” injuring a young girl while travelling at an “excessive speed” on the River Murray, a court has heard.

Dwayne Kajanto, 42, appeared in the Adelaide Magistrates Court on Tuesday afternoon charged with operating a vessel without due care and at speed near a person in water.

The Seaford Meadows resident pleaded guilty at a previous hearing and has now been convicted.

The court heard Kajanto, a married father of two and a qualified glazier, had held a boat licence for 20 years, had been skiing and boating since he was 10 and “grew up in Barmera on the river”.

The court heard Dwayne Kajanto had a blood alcohol reading of 0.036 after the incident. Picture: Dwayne Kajanto Facebook.

It heard he and his family had been staying at the Morgan caravan park over the Christmas holidays.

For Kajanto, Wayne Carlin said despite the guilty plea his client wasn’t travelling in a speed restriction zone, and was at a “minimal” speed, on January 2 last year when he collided with the girl.

“He hears a bang. He knows straight away from his experience on the river that this is the sound of a hard object,” Mr Carlin said.

“He thinks the worst.

“He does a U-turn immediately and returns to the shore and hears what every skipper of a boat would regret, the screaming of a young girl.”

Mr Carlin said his client was met with “hostility” from the girl’s family.

“He’s deeply sorry for what has occurred, he’s been in shock,” he said.

He said his client’s wife and his family had witnessed the incident from the river bank and had been “deeply affected”.

Dwayne Kajanto was travelling at an excessive speed, the court heard. Picture: Dwayne Kajanto Facebook.

Kajanto had also provided a letter of apology to the young girl and was on antidepressants “to come to terms with what happened”.

He said alcohol was not a factor, although the court heard the accused recorded a blood-alcohol level of 0.036.

Magistrate Stefan Metanomski said alcohol was an “aggravating feature” of the offending.

“It’s something I have to take into account,” Mr Metanomski said.

“He’s held a licence for a considerable period of time.

“But that does not escape the fact he was driving his boat in a negligent manner on the day in question… not keeping a proper look out and travelling at a speed which was excessive.

“As a consequence of that the child was significantly injured.”