By Sarah Smith and Daile Cross
The family of a woman hit by a car and killed as she crossed a Perth road is devastated that the driver responsible walked out of court with a drink-driving fine on Monday, with the young mother’s death not mentioned during the hearing.
Sharmayne Fisher’s mother Tracey Howkins, crying outside court, said she was in shock after the driver, who cannot be named for legal reasons, walked away with a $1000 fine.
“This is not justice,” Howkins said.
“Sharmayne was loving, caring and honest. She loved her son so much. She was 10 minutes away from home, she was coming home for him. This is not right.”
Fisher, 22, was struck by a black BMW hatchback while walking at the intersection of Farrall Road and Morrision Road in Midvale about 10.35pm on December 2 last year. She died at the scene.
Her best friend, Jessica Lawson, said the court completely disregarded Fisher’s death by not even mentioning she was killed in the crash.
The 32-year-old woman behind the wheel of the BMW pleaded guilty on Monday to drink-driving, but was not charged with any other offence over the incident.
Nine News Perth reported major crash investigators had determined the driver had the green light at the intersection when Fisher stepped out onto the road in front of the car.
The driver immediately stopped to help and called police. She was breathalysed at the scene and returned a BAC reading of 0.122, below the threshold of 0.15 that would trigger an automatic charge of dangerous driving causing death.
On top of the $1000 fine, the woman was disqualified from driving for eight months.
Fisher’s friend Denise Prior said the woman should have faced another charge, even if the crash was an accident.
“[The driver] was drunk, that’s the fact there, she was drunk, she shouldn’t have been behind the wheel,” she said.
Howkins said she just wanted justice for her daughter.
“This is not right,” she said.
“And I will fight until she gets the justice she deserves.”
with Nine News Perth