SA Judge Anthony Allen says hit-run driver Travis Wayne Turner is danger to the community

A driver who ran down a cyclist after leaning over to pick up a dropped soft drink is a repeat offender with an appalling driving history, this judge says.

A man who ran down a cyclist and fled has lived a life “punctuated” by “appalling” driving offences and is “a danger to the community when he gets behind the wheel”, a judge says.

The District Court has also heard Travis Wayne Turner seriously injured Sonja Maus after dropping a soft drink in his car – and while driving when his licence was disqualified.

On Tuesday, counsel for Turner said their client had already spent 400 days in custody and asked that he receive a sentence that would promote his “genuine” desire to rehabilitate.

Hit-run victim Sonja Maus. Picture: 7NEWS

Travis Turner pictured with his van after the hit-run. Picture: 7NEWS

“Moments before, he had opened a can of soft drink and put it in the centre console cupholder but it went straight through, into the passenger’s side footwell,” he said.

“He leaned over to pick it up and, as he did, pulled the wheel in the direction of the bike lane.

“He immediately knew he had hit someone … he stopped, saw the damage he had done, panicked and fled the scene.”

He said that made Turner’s offending less serious than other driving cases – but Judge Anthony Allen disagreed.

“He stopped, he saw the consequences of his actions and, notwithstanding having seen them, made the decision to leave anyway,” he said.

“His whole life has been punctuated by driving offences … he has an appalling driving history (with) 28 prior driving-related offences.

“You would have to agree he’s a danger to the community when he gets behind the wheel.”

Judge Anthony Allen. Picture: Michael Marschall

Turner, 47, of Somerton Park, pleaded guilty to causing harm by dangerous driving and to leaving the scene of an accident.

He was behind the wheel of a white Toyota HiAce that, in February 2023, collided with Ms Maus, 44, as she was cycling to work along Churchill Rd, Kilburn.

After the incident, he drove to his brother’s house and altered the van by replacing its damaged bumper and swapping its number plates to conceal his crime.

On Tuesday, a prosecutor told the court witnesses to the crash had stopped to assist Ms Maus, and had observed Turner’s conduct.

“Turner stopped, ran toward Ms Maus and said ‘she doesn’t look too good … what have I done, what happened’ but nevertheless still left the scene,” she said.

Turner, she said, had been convicted of exceeding the speed limit by 45km/h, driving disqualified five times, and driving with both alcohol and meth in his system.

She said he had also been convicted of two counts of driving without due care, on one of those occasions causing a three-car pile-up.

“This is an escalation of his offending … his prospects of rehabilitation must be considered poor,” she said.

Judge Allen remanded Turner in custody for sentencing next month.