Debbie Lee Hudson charged with reckless driving over Koumala double fatal

A lawyer for a driver who allegedly caused a fatal crash that claimed the lives of a father and daughter on Easter Monday is seeking footage of a vehicle before the tragedy occurred.

Alan and Hannah Atherton (pictured) died from a traffic crash on the Bruce Highway at Koumala on Easter Monday. Debbie Lee Hudson has been charged over the fatal crash

Lawyers for an alleged reckless driver charged over a traffic fatality that claimed the lives of a father and daughter south of Mackay is seeking the police crash investigation report and some dashcam footage.

East Mackay woman Debbie Lee Hudson was charged with two counts of driving without due care and attention or driving without reasonable consideration for other people using the road causing death over a double tragedy at Koumala on Easter Monday.

Alan Atherton, 60 and his daughter Hannah, 19 were on a motorcycle on the Bruce Highway when the fatal crash occurred about 10.25am on April 18, 2022.

Mr Atherton died at the scene while Hannah, who was the pillion passenger on her father’s Harley Davidson, was flown in a critical condition to Townsville Hospital where her life support was switched off days later.

Hannah Atherton, 19, was the pillion passenger on her 60-year-old father Alan Atherton’s Harley Davidson as part of a birthday ride when tragedy struck about 10.25am on Monday April 18. Picture: Facebook

She passed away on April 27 – her organs were donated.

They had been out riding to celebrate Mr Atherton’s 60th birthday when his motorbike and a silver sedan hatch collided near the highway intersection with McNeil Rd, just after Cherry Tree Creek.

Police alleged Ms Hudson, who had stopped the vehicle she was driving on the side of the road, had given way to other motorcycles on a separate ride before conducting a U-turn and colliding with Mr Atherton’s bike.

Ms Hudson, 64, faces a maximum penalty of one year’s jail or up to an $11,500 fine and at least a six-month licence ban if found guilty.

She appeared in court on Tuesday when her two charges of reckless driving causing death were rolled into a single charge.

Hannah Atherton died on April 27, 2022 after a tragic crash on the Bruce Highway in Koumala. Picture: Facebook

Solicitor Antoinette Morton, of Fisher Dore Lawyers, said they were seeking an expert report in relation to the matter as well as disclosure of the “accident investigator’s report”.

Ms Morton told the court she had also already requested some footage in relation to the crash that had not yet been disclosed.

“Footage from a dashcam of a vehicle that passes the deceased’s vehicle prior to the incident,” Ms Morton said.

Because of the charge the matter can stay in the magistrate’s court jurisdiction.

The court heard Ms Morton had made a submission to police prosecution for the initial two charges to be rolled into one single replacement charge.

Matters were adjourned to late January.