Codie-Joe Edward Coyle in court for UIL, speeding
A 26-year-old man has walked free after nearly killing himself, a female passenger and his dogs when he hit a tree while drunk driving and speeding in the Mary Valley.
Police & Courts
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An Imbil man has admitted to an act of “stupidity” after nearly killing himself, a female passenger and his two dogs when he slammed into a tree while three times the legal limit and speeding.
Gympie Magistrates Court heard Codi-Joe Edward Coyle, 26, was driving about 130km/h in a 60km/h zone on the night of September 5, 2022, when his car left the road and smashed into a gum tree near Amamoor.
Blood tests turned up a blood alcohol reading of .160.
Defence lawyer Laura Nightingale told the court Coyle had spent the day driving around visiting friends.
She said every place he stopped, he would “have a few drinks”.
Coyle eventually worked his way across to the Kandanga Bowls Club where he started playing the pokies.
The court was told the managers, concerned at his level of intoxication, called someone to collect him.
He then jumped behind the wheel of his car with a plan to drive to Gympie to continue his run on the pokies.
The female called to collect him was in the passenger seat.
The court was told he drove about 4km north along Kandanga Amamoor Rd, failed to take a right hand turn on to Blackgate Rd, and struck the tree at high speed.
Coyle broke his pelvis and injured his hand in the crash, landing in hospital for 12 days.
His passenger and the dogs received only minor injuries.
Ms Nightingale said her client, who had had a “traumatic” and abusive childhood and worked as a ginger farmer and at the Imbil Bowls Club, had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and PTSD.
He had at times in his life used methamphetamines and marijuana, she said.
Coyle had decided to quit the latter on the day of the crash, the court heard, and he turned to alcohol as a substitute.
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When asked by magistrate Bevan Hughes why he would want to wreck his life given he had already survived some horrific experiences, Coyle gave a simple answer: “Stupidity”.
He pleaded guilty to dangerous operation of a vehicle while affected by an intoxicating substance and excessively speeding, and driving under the influence.
Mr Hughes said it was “nothing short of a miracle” Coyle was alive, and he could have easily killed himself.
Coyle was sentenced to 15 months jail, with immediate parole.
His licence was stripped for one year.
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