‘She’s dead, she’s dead’: Man’s alleged voicemail minutes after 17yo killed in ‘hit-and-run’
A man accused of fatally hitting a teenager with his ute and leaving her to die allegedly left a panicked voicemail just minutes after the horrific crash.
A man accused of hitting and killing a teenager with his ute allegedly phoned his girlfriend minutes after the crash where he said he had “killed someone” and she was “dead”, a court has been told.
Frank Moneger, 58, is charged with dangerous driving causing death and leaving the scene of the incident without obtaining help, following the death of the 17-year-old, who has been identified by her family as Olivia Chivers.
He has not entered a plea.
According to court documents obtained by NewsWire, Mr Moneger – who was born in the French city of Marseilles – lists his occupation as a concreter.
His charge specifies that he dangerously operated a vehicle in Margate and caused Olivia Chivers’ death, and that the time he “ought reasonably to have known the other person had been injured and … left the scene of the incident other than to obtain other help for the other person before a police officer arrived”.
In bodycam footage released by Queensland Police, detectives from the Redcliffe Child Protection Unit are seen entering his Scarborough house and informing him he is under arrest.
A heavily blurred Mr Moneger is then led out into a waiting vehicle.
Police allege Mr Moneger fatally struck Olivia on Margate Pde, Margate just before 11.30pm on Monday.
Olivia suffered life-threatening injuries and died at the scene.
She was a month shy of turning 18.
Mr Moneger, from Scarborough, is alleged to have fled the scene in his Nissan Navara ute without trying to help Olivia.
His was found at his Scarborough home at about 10.30am on Tuesday before he was arrested that afternoon.
On Wednesday, Mr Moneger fronted Redcliffe Magistrates Court via video link, dressed in a black sweater and sporting long hair and a short grey beard.
He was supported in court by one of his neighbours, John.
Bail was opposed, with police prosecutor Sheree Wilde recounting the alleged events of the night which led to Olivia’s death.
She told the court the teenager was out driving around with her friends and had been drinking on Monday night when their car broke down in Margate.
Acting Sergeant Wilde said Olivia allegedly said she would get help and walked off down Margate Pde.
One witness allegedly heard a vehicle “travelling fast” before hearing a “thump”.
“He’s turned around and seen a white-coloured ute … he heard a male voice say ‘f*ck’ and then observed the vehicle take off north,” Acting Sergeant Wilde said.
Another allegedly saw the white ute go through the roundabout “at speed” before seeing the dead teenager lying in the middle of the road.
Acting Sergeant Wilde said Mr Moneger was alleged to have told police he was involved in a crash, but thought he had hit a roundabout.
He claimed to have not known he had hit someone until he saw the news that morning.
Mr Moneger allegedly told officers he did not phone police as he wanted to “process” what had happened, she said.
The court was told Mr Moneger had allegedly left a voicemail on a woman’s phone minutes after the crash.
He is alleged to have told her: “I just killed someone. She’s dead, she’s dead. Do you know what just happened? It’s really bad, it’s really bad.”
Mr Moneger also allegedly spoke to his son, telling him he had “hit someone last night” and claimed he saw something at the “last second”.
He is alleged to have claimed to see someone lying on the road and questioned if he should hand himself in.
Acting Sergeant Wilde said Mr Moneger was alleged to have told police he had consumed alcohol in the afternoon prior to the crash.
Police are still investigating whether he was adversely intoxicated at the time, Acting Sergeant Wilde said.
She alleged Mr Moneger made “no effort” to hand himself into police and suggested this indicated a lack of remorse.
“If convicted, the defendant will be liable to a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison,” Acting Sergeant Wilde said.
“It is submitted he poses an unacceptable flight risk and is likely to fail to surrender into custody again.”
Corey Cullen, Mr Moneger’s defence lawyer, called the incident a “tragedy” and said the current bail application was to decide whether his client posed any unacceptable risk if released on bail.
Mr Cullen said claims of a “loud bang” being heard was not a factual basis to determine what speed Mr Moneger was travelling.
A witness had claimed to see Olivia “intoxicated” and had observed her “running onto the road, lying down on the road, run to the beach and lie back down on the road”.
“The case is going to hinge on the forensic investigation from police,” Mr Cullen said.
“It’s going to take a very long time for that evidence to be disclosed.”
Mr Cullen said his client could abide by strict conditions, including an order not to take drugs or alcohol and abiding by residential conditions.
Magistrate Jennifer Batts said she had concerns about bail being granted, arising from Mr Moneger’s alleged admissions about his consumption of alcohol, the drug cannabis and his mental health struggles.
Ms Batts said Mr Moneger had a traffic history which spanned over two states and “many decades”.
Bail was refused, with his matter adjourned to February 12 for a further committal mention.
In a statement issued on behalf of Olivia’s family by Queensland Police on Tuesday, they remembered her as a “beautiful and gentle soul”.
“She loved those close to her with her whole heart and would always be the person to pick up on the small things that make people the way they are, often the things that others would miss,” they said.
“She could always tell when someone was having a bad day and would stay with you as long as you needed until she was sure that you were OK.
“She didn’t realise how loved she was by everyone around her, she never fully realised how beautiful she truly was and never realised how much she touched the people around her.”
The family said the teen loved singing and was a huge fan of singer-songwriter Lana Del Rey – though her family revealed she loved her dog “more than anything”.
“She always wanted to be like her sisters but she never understood that it’s them who wanted to be like her,” the statement continues.
The family say Olivia had gone through several challenges in the past two years and had died just as she was “getting her light back”.
“The world had been heavy and unkind to such a tender-hearted soul however she always tried her best to get through it and her resilience became a quiet rhythm in her life, a way for her to remind herself to never give up,” the statement read.
“Just as Olivia was getting better, getting her light back, she was taken from us far too soon. She was only 17, a month away from her 18th birthday.
“She was a much-loved daughter and sister and will be missed truly.”
Originally published as ‘She’s dead, she’s dead’: Man’s alleged voicemail minutes after 17yo killed in ‘hit-and-run’
