Ray Card: Details of fatal crash ex-Cat caused revealed in County Court

Ex-Cat Ray Card was more than four times over the legal alcohol limit and driving on the wrong side of the road when he caused the crash that left the love of his life dead and a young woman in hospital.

Ray Card, centre, leaves Geelong Court earlier this year, with former teammate and lawyer Damien Bourke, right.

Former Geelong footballer Ray Card had a blood alcohol reading of .226 when he decided to drive home from a wedding with his wife. That decision led to the death of the ‘love of his life’ and put a young woman in hospital after he drove onto the wrong side of the Geelong Ring Road, causing a horror collision.

Card, 68, appeared in the County Court on Monday and formally pleaded guilty to culpable driving causing the death of his wife, Amanda McDonald, also known as Mandy, and negligently causing serious injury to a 19-year-old woman.

The court heard Card and Ms McDonald had been guests at a wedding in Lara on Saturday, November 16 last year.

Mandy McDonald and Ray Card at a Cats past players function. Picture: Supplied

Both had been drinking heavily before getting into Card’s Ford Ranger and leaving.

Meanwhile, a 22-year-old man driving a BMW departed Lovely Banks with a 19-year-old woman in the passenger seat.

The pair stopped at McDonalds, then drove onto the Ring Road, heading east towards Bacchus Marsh Rd.

As they came around a bend about 11.20pm, the driver saw headlights coming towards them. He hit the brakes and swerved into the right-hand lane.

Card swerved into the same lane and the two cars collided – passenger side to passenger side.

Ms McDonald was killed in the crash, and the 19-year-old woman was cut from the BMW and flown to The Alfred hospital.

The court heard Card, who was slurring his words and unsteady on his feet when police arrived, accepted responsibility from the outset.

He admitted to police he was at fault, he’d had too much to drink.

Ray Card at the funeral of his partner Mandy McDonald.

The BMW’s driver was taken to Geelong hospital and a sample of his blood indicated no alcohol or drugs were in his system.

At 1.29am, two hours after the collision, Card’s blood indicated a BAC of no less than 0.226 – more than four times the legal limit.

The 19-year-old woman suffered serious injuries that required multiple surgical interventions.

In victim impact statements read to the court by crown prosecutor Jordan Johnston, the woman’s parents described the terror they felt that night; how they learned of the crash and raced to the scene, then to Geelong hospital, then to The Alfred searching for their daughter.

The couple described their relief she had survived and the subsequent “terrible stress” of her long, slow recovery.

The woman, who wrote a statement of her own that was not read in court, spent her 20th birthday, Christmas and New Year in a wheelchair, suffers PTSD and is fraught with anxiety, battling pain and ongoing concussion symptoms.

“It breaks my heart to see her suffer like this,” her mother wrote.

Card’s barrister, Geoff Steward, conceded prison was inevitable but urged the court to impose a sentence with a longer-than-usual gap between non-parole period and the maximum term.

Many of the defence submissions described Card’s “exceptional character” – he “wasn’t a fellow who would drink and drive and get away with it”, Mr Steward said.

The court heard 14 character references had been provided by the defence, including one by

Ex-Geelong skipper Damian Bourke, who took the stand to give evidence on behalf of his former teammate.

“Ray’s always been one to give himself, rather than take anything,” Mr Bourke said.

Mr Steward told the court that Card’s situation was unique, noting Ms McDonald’s family were supportive and forgiving – an “extraordinary” display of support, in the wake of the tragedy.

In references quoted by Mr Steward, one of Ms McDonald’s daughters spoke highly of Card and said he “always will be a part of this family”, a sentiment echoed by her uncle, Ms McDonald’s brother.

Mr Steward said Card’s remorse was obvious from the outset.

In the bodycam footage immediately after the accident, Card displayed “gut-wrenching, life changing, grief-stricken remorse” at the scene, the court heard.

“It’s hard to watch, his despair, his grief,” Mr Steward said of the footage, noting that Card’s concern was immediately for his wife, not himself.

His remorse was also referenced by Ms McDonald’s family and Mr Bourke, while Card had also written a letter of apology to the 19-year-old and asked for his own bail to be revoked following the hearing.

The court heard Card had also been diagnosed with a rare cardiac illness and his prognosis was “not good”.

“Mercy, in my submission … plays a large role in whatever the sentencing disposition (that) takes place,” Mr Steward said.

Judge Gerard Mullaly asked for more information concerning whether the illness would cause a slow deterioration or whether Card was at risk of a sudden cardiac event, which would be worsened in prison.

Judge Mullaly noted the state was required to continue his current treatment regimen.

“I must take into account his ill-health, but I cannot impose an inadequate sentence for that reason,” Judge Mullaly said.

In his own sentencing submissions, Mr Johnston submitted this was not a case of momentary inattention, it was “series of events” stemming from Card’s choice to drive that resulted in catastrophic consequences.

He accepted that Card had clearly been “profoundly” impacted by the crash and would continue to be, and the loss of his wife could be seen as extra punishment.

However, Mr Johnston argued Card’s moral culpability “must be assessed as high”, and the objective gravity as being serious.

The sentencing considerations of deterrence and denunciation were “paramount” and could not be usurped, Mr Johnston said.

Card was remanded in custody and will reappear in court on October 2.

Originally published as Ray Card: Details of fatal crash ex-Cat caused revealed in County Court