Locked up: Ipswich man David Kepu jailed over horror Warrego crash

A man and woman were left bleeding and broken in a twisted metal wreck after a drink driver slammed into the back of their car.

A 28-year-old man who drove drunk and left two people with life-changing injuries after he smashed into the back of their car on the Warrego Highway has been jailed for 12 months.

The incident occurred at Minden in August 2020 when David Kepu, who had a blood alcohol reading of 0.188, hit the back of a car with his own, causing it to flip multiple times and crash into a ditch, leaving the man and woman inside with life-changing injuries.

At the Ipswich District Court on Monday, December 6, Kepu pleaded guilty to dangerously operating a vehicle and causing grievous bodily harm while under the influence of alcohol, drink driving, and speeding.

The pair were seriously injured and feared for their lives while waiting for emergency services to free them from the twisted wreck of metal.

In a victim statement letter the woman, who suffered a collapsed lung and broken leg, arm and ribs, said she was left traumatised.

A man sustained injuries that will follow him for the rest of his life after going through multiple surgeries on his wrist and arm, which stopped him from being able to run his business.

The crash also resulted in the man’s head being cut open and multiple spinal fractures.

Judge Dennis Lynch told Kepu his actions had changed the lives of his victims ‘considerably’ and he was lucky no one was left disabled or killed.

Kepu, who was seen driving in excess of 150km/h while weaving in and out of traffic was not seriously injured, and walked free from the crash.

“You deliberately drove in a dangerous fashion while significantly intoxicated and not capable of driving,” Judge Lynch told the Ipswich man.

The court heard the then 27-year-old was going through a breakup at the time and routinely abused alcohol, which he continued to do after the crash despite making efforts to change.

Kepu’s legal counsel said the addiction stemmed from a highly unstable and traumatic childhood, although the 28-year-old labourer sought help at AA and admitted himself to rehab.

Judge Lynch accepted Kepu was “genuinely remorseful” for his actions.

Judge Lynch sentenced Kepu to serve 12 months of a four-year prison sentence and disqualified his license for two years.