Drugged dangerous driver Samantha Jane Jacobs crashed into and injured blameless truck driver in April 2021, court told

This woman was so fatigued that even methylamphetamine couldn’t keep her awake behind the wheel – nor prevent a horror road crash.

A motorist swerved into the path of, crashed into, and seriously injured a blameless truck driver because she was so fatigued even methylamphetamine could not keep her awake, a court has heard.

On Thursday, the District Court said Samantha Jane Jacobs’ case was a reversal of the usual dangerous driving matters that fall to be sentenced.

Judge Paul Muscat praised the truck driver for doing all he could to avoid Jacobs’ drugged driving at Nalyappa, about 130km northwest of Adelaide, in April 2021.

“If you reversed the roles (where) a truck driver was on meth to stay awake, and they crashed into a car, that speaks to the seriousness of the offence,” he said.

“That’s what we’ve got here, except she is in the car, she has taken the meth to stay awake, and she has crashed into the truck.

Samantha Jane Jacobs outside the District Court.

“What’s saved her life is that the truck driver was alert and reacted by reducing his speed from 90km/h to 60km/h and tried to avoid her.

“That’s what probably caused his injuries, he’s gone off the road and crashed into a tree … she’s lucky she didn’t die in that collision.”

Jacobs, 52, of Matta Flat, pleaded guilty to one aggravated count of causing serious harm by dangerous driving and one count of driving under the influence.

On Thursday, Elizabeth Mansfield, for Jacobs, said her client had survived a lifetime of abuse and personal strife, and was working two jobs at the time of the crash.

Her client was, she said, at least partially motivated by financial need to make it to one of her workplaces despite her sleep deprivation.

She said an expert toxicology report had concluded her fatigue was so great that not even the meth she had taken could “mitigate her tiredness”.

“She was using the meth to stay awake, she was falling asleep and swerving across the road and into the other lane,” she said.

“She can’t remember when she took the meth, but she was aware she was highly fatigued … she has no clear memory (of the day).

Jacobs, the court heard, swerved into the path of and caused serious harm to a truck driver.

Ms Mansfield said Jacobs “did not resile from” the seriousness of her offending, and was genuinely remorseful for having harmed the truck driver.

However, she asked her client be sentenced to home detention so that she could continue to care for her teenage daughter.

Lisa Lakatos, prosecuting, said Jacobs had a history of driving offences and had been banned from the road, just 24 hours before the crash, for having drugs in her system.

The truck driver, she said, had not provided a victim impact statement but had required shoulder reconstruction surgery as a result of the crash.

Judge Muscat remanded Jacobs on continuing bail to further sentencing submissions in September.

Outside court, Jacobs abused The Advertiser for filming her when she had been “in court for a traffic offence”.