Nathan Thomas pleads not guilty to dangerous driving causing death

A teenager accused of killing a woman in a hit-run in Corio will fight the charges, as his lawyer probed the alleged victim’s “state of mind” prior to the crash.

Nathan Thomas leaves Geelong Court on Monday.

A teenager accused of killing a woman in a hit-run in Corio will fight the charges, as his lawyer probed the alleged victim’s state of mind prior to the crash.

Nathan Thomas, 19, fronted Geelong Magistrates Court on Monday, facing numerous charges, including dangerous driving causing death.

Mr Thomas was allegedly behind the wheel of the car that struck Corio mother Tania Coad near the intersection of Plantation Rd and Washington St just before 7am on August 11.

Ms Coad died in hospital on August 22. Her mother and two sisters were present in court on Monday.

Before committal proceedings got underway, prosecutor Brad Hardisty applied to withdraw three other charges, which were struck out by magistrate Kimberley Swadesir.

Tania Coad, 43, died in hospital after a hit-run in Geelong. Photo: Supplied.

The court heard from two prosecution witnesses, the first being Detective Senior Constable Sandeep Singh Chauhan, who compiled a reconstruction report of the crash.

Mr Thomas’ lawyer, barrister James Mortley quizzed Detective Chauhan on topics including the CCTV footage, acceleration and Ms Coad’s behaviour prior to the crash, which the court heard Detective Chauhan described as “incoherent” in his report.

Ms Coad was walking down a concrete island in the centre of Washington St prior to the crash, the court heard, and at one point “squats down and appears to make some gestures towards the western side of Plantation Rd”.

Mr Mortley suggested that “a lot more detail” about Ms Coad’s actions should have been in Detective Chauhan’s report.

The court heard while the victim was on the road for some time prior to the crash, Detective Chauhan said Mr Thomas had a “longer time to react”, while Mr Mortley suggested his client may have only seen Ms Coad “momentarily”.

“End of the day … the accused, in my opinion, should have stopped,” Detective Chauhan said.

Following Detective Chauhan’s evidence, Mr Mortley quizzed the case’s informant, Detective senior constable Suzanne Barnes.

Mr Mortley asked Detective Barnes about CCTV evidence, disclosure and statements of two police officers, who noted previous “dealings” with Ms Coad.

Mr Mortley also referred to Ms Coad making “at least 6-7” calls to Corio police station since 6am on the morning of the crash during cross examination, and said officers described her as likely intoxicated, but no toxicology report was conducted.

Mr Hardisty objected to questioning related to Ms Coad’s medical records, and Ms Swadesir asked Mr Mortley why the victim’s state of mind was relevant to the charged offending.

“The driving may not have caused the death if the leaping before the car was the mechanism of it,” Mr Mortley said.

He submitted there was a “two-fold argument”, questioning first whether or not the driving was dangerous, and also whether the driving caused the death “or whether there was an intervening act”.

After both witnesses were questioned, Ms Swadesir said that there was enough evidence for a jury to potentially convict Mr Thomas, and read him his committal caution.

When asked how he pleaded, Mr Thomas said: “Not guilty”.

He was granted trial bail and will next face a directions hearing in the County Court on August 25.

Originally published as Nathan Thomas pleads not guilty to dangerous driving causing death