Nicole Proverbs sentenced for trying to cover up son’s car crash

A Central Queensland mother and lead educator at a daycare centre told a significant lie to authorities investigating her son’s car crash in a “cover up” bid that went badly wrong.

Nicole Elizabeth Proverbs, 51, pleaded guilty in Gladstone Magistrates Court to obstructing police, and obstructing/hindering an ambulance officer. Generic image.

A Central Queensland mother who lied to authorities in a bid to take the blame for her son’s car crash, has been sentenced.

Nicole Elizabeth Proverbs, 51, pleaded guilty in Gladstone Magistrates Court to obstructing police, and obstructing/hindering an ambulance officer.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Merrilyn Hoskins said about 8pm on December 15, Proverbs’ son was involved in a single-vehicle crash at the Glenlyon St and Philip St intersection.

Sgt Hoskins said after the crash, the son phoned his mum and she then went straight to the crash scene.

At the same time, an ambulance was dispatched to a separate incident - a Code 1 emergency - at Tannum Sands where an 82-year-old person was having difficulty breathing.

“While the QAS (Queensland Ambulance Service) officer was driving with their lights and sirens (to the Tannum Sands job), he saw the car crash and stopped to render aid,” Sgt Hoskins said.

“(Proverbs) said to the QAS officer that she was the sole occupant when the vehicle had crashed... and had self-extricated from the vehicle.”

Sgt Hoskins said the QAS officer performed an official assessment of Proverbs who declined to go to hospital, and he was required to complete relevant paperwork for a “high-mechanism traffic accident.”

“Which resulted in he and his paramedic partner being unable to respond to the other (Tannum Sands) emergency.”

Another ambulance was dispatched from Gladstone to Tannum Sands.

The court heard that at the crash scene, Proverbs lied to the QAS officer about being the driver and she was not involved in the crash.

Gladstone Courthouse.

The QAS officer did not know this, and he was unaware that there were four other people involved in the crash.

“And he was unable to complete an assessment of them,” Sgt Hoskins said.

Also at the scene, Proverbs lied to a police officer, telling them that she was the driver of the crashed car “with her son and his friends in the vehicle at the time”, the court heard.

The constable began investigating the crash under the impression Proverbs was the driver until it was determined that she was not.

“When questioned, she admitted to not being the driver in the crash... and she said she was trying to cover up for her son, as she knew he was driving a high-performance vehicle on a P-licence, and he had only one point left.”

The court heard that Proverbs was given a $967 fine for giving a second police officer an incorrect version of events - and that was paid by her prior to the court matter.

The court did not hear whether the son was charged in relation to the accident.

Proverbs had no criminal history and a “limited” traffic history.

Solicitor Stephen White said Proverbs was a mother of four who worked as a lead educator at a daycare centre.

Mr White said Proverbs was “extremely embarrassed and remorseful” to be in court and he submitted for no conviction to be recorded.

Magistrate Mary Buchanan fined Proverbs $950 and no conviction was recorded.