Ricky Stephen Andrews faces court over crash which injured Nemani Ranuve

A man’s decision to buy his son a new bike for Christmas took an unexpected turn when he made a bad decision that left a young man fighting for life, a court has heard.

Ricky Stephen Andrews leaves Gympie Magistrates Court on September 25, 2023, after pleading guilty to four charges laid over a shocking crash which critically injured a young Tin Can Bay Man. The charges were driving while a relevant drug was present in the blood or saliva, using a vehicle with incorrect licence plates, driving an uninsured vehicle, and driving an unregistered vehicle.

One week before Christmas 2022, Ricky Stephen Andrews hopped on a newly bought, unregistered bike he had bought at Caboolture.

The plan was to ride it home that night, instead a horrific crash changed two people’s lives irrevocably.

Andrews, 45, faced Gympie Magistrates Court Monday afternoon over traffic and driving charges following the horrific crash which happened one week before Christmas 2022.

Stephens was riding a motorbike along Excelsior Rd, near Gympie Central Shopping Centre, about 2.30am on December 18 when he collided with 20-year-old Nemani Ranuve, from Tin Can Bay.

Mr Ranuve suffered significant, life-changing injuries and had to be flown to the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital.

He remained in a coma until late January and was not discharged from hospital until the end of June.

Nemani Ranuve suffered critical injuries when he was struck by the motorbike ridden by Ricky Stephen Andrews early in the morning of December 18, 2022.

Police prosecutor Mel Campbell told the court on Monday that “based on physical evidence, witness accounts, and observation of the accident location … police have concluded there is no evidence to indicate any reckless or dangerous conduct by the defendant”.

“The accident (was) simply a tragic set of circumstances,” Sgt Campbell said.

The court was told Andrews had bought the bike for his son from its former owner at Caboolture.

He had travelled south on the night to pick it up and ride it back.

Andrews was aware the bike was unregistered so attached old registration plates to the bike, which was also uninsured.

Sgt Campbell told the court Andrews did this as he did not think he would obtain registration in time to bring the bike home, but later “learned he could have applied for a permit to move an unregistered vehicle … or have it towed”.

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Gympie Magistrates Court was told there was “no evidence to indicate any reckless or dangerous conduct” by Ricky Stephen Andrews at the time of the crash. He was fined $1001 and disqualified from driving for one month over the four traffic-related offences.

A blood sample revealed he had THC in his system, with a reading of 0.004mg per litre of blood.

Andrews’ lawyer told the court her client, a former fisherman and father of five, had a prescription for Methadone and medicinal marijuana.

This was to help him deal with injuries he suffered in a serious crash in 2001, and having his back broken in an assault with a baseball bat in 2011.

Andrews faced the court with the use of a cane, still suffering from his own injuries suffered in the December 18 crash.

He was supported by family members sitting in the gallery.

His lawyer told the court he was “extremely remorseful”, accepted his part in what had happened, and felt there was “no excuse for his behaviour”.

Andrews pleaded guilty to driving while a relevant drug was present in the blood or saliva, using a vehicle with incorrect licence plates, driving an uninsured vehicle, and driving an unregistered vehicle.

He was fined $1001 and disqualified from driving for one month.