Cooper Douglas Purcell sentenced for shocking Gladstone car crash

A police investigation has revealed what happened in the moments before a young Central Queensland driver crashed his car through a fence and into a palm tree.

Cooper Douglas Purcell was sentenced in Gladstone Magistrates Court on February 21.

What happened in the lead up to a young driver crashing his car into a Central Queensland resident’s fence has been revealed in court.

Cooper Douglas Purcell, 21, pleaded guilty in Gladstone Magistrates Court on February 21 to numerous charges including dangerous operation of a motor vehicle.

The court heard Purcell crashed his car through a resident’s fence at South Gladstone and into a palm tree about 12.20pm on August 25, 2022.

It was told that a witness who saw the car “fish tail” before losing control had to run to safety.

Purcell was assessed by Queensland Ambulance Service staff at the scene.

Cooper Douglas Purcell.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Kevin Ongheen said a police investigation had determined what happened in the moments prior to the crash.

“The dangerous operation of a vehicle is probably the exact outcome members of the community fear when they see a young person hooning in a motor vehicle, revving the engine highly,” Sgt Ongheen said.

“The computer downloads of the technical data concerning how quickly the brakes were applied and the revs the engine was under – (revealed) basically he was revving the guts out of it.”

Solicitor Jun Pepito said Purcell was an apprentice boilermaker and the crash happened when he was 19.

Magistrate Mary Buchanan fined Purcell $600 and ordered he pay $59.98 restitution.

She also placed him on probation for 18 months and disqualified him from driving for six months.

No conviction was recorded.