Joel Robert Estreich, 22, received significant injuries after he drove drunk and crashed his car

When police arrived at the scene of the crash in Central Queensland, they found the driver on the ground near his white Nissan Patrol, unconscious and being treated by paramedics. Here’s what happened.

A paramedic who attended the crash scene of a young drunk driver in Central Queensland told police he didn’t think the injured man would survive due to his injuries.

Joel Robert Estreich, 22, sustained fractures to his skull, neck, collarbone, shoulder blade, ribs, hand, lower legs, sternum and tail bone, along with three bleeds on his brain and bruising to his lungs and hip.

He had a blood-alcohol content reading of 0.110 at the time of the single vehicle crash on South Yaamba Road about 9pm on December 17, 2021, a court has heard.

Estreich pleaded guilty on July 11 in Rockhampton Magistrates Court to one count of drink-driving.

Police prosecutor Brandy Butler said when police arrived at the scene, they found Estreich on the ground near his crashed white Nissan Patrol, unconscious and being treated by paramedics.

She said witnesses told police they had been drinking and socialising with Estreich that afternoon at a creek and had been drinking since 2pm-3pm.

Joel Robert Estreich, 22, sustained fractures to his skull, neck, collarbone, shoulder blade, ribs, hand, lower legs, sternum and tail bone, along with three bleeds on his brain and bruising to his lungs and hip.

Ms Butler said the witnesses told police they had followed Estreich from the creek, starting off about 8pm, but had lost sight of him before coming across the crash with Estreich unconscious beside his vehicle.

She said a paramedic at the scene told police that Estreich was stabilised for the flight to the hospital, but given the “significant bleeding from his ears” and suspected basilar skull fracture, his survival rate was low.

Defence lawyer Jess King said her client had no memory of the accident and could only recall working until midday that day, then going to a rental property his mother owned to do maintenance work.

She said his mother recalled seeing him about 4pm that day before he headed to the creek to fish and socialise with his cousin and brother.

Ms King said it was his cousin who was the first at the scene of the crash.

She said the cousin discovered messages on Estreich’s mobile phone showing he had been arguing with his girlfriend while with them at the creek.

The court heard this was not Estreich’s first drink-driving offence as he had been convicted for a BAC of .133 in 2019.

Ms King said Estreich’s father had died from pancreatic cancer in 2019 and he had turned to drinking alcohol and had made efforts to reduce his alcohol consumption after the first drink-drive incident.

She said he instructed this accident, which resulted in him being in a coma for four days, spending five days in the intensive care unit in Brisbane before returning to Rockhampton for three more days, had been “the greatest wake-up call”.

He also had a monitor inserted in his brain while in the ICU.

Ms King said Estreich also had surgeries to his leg and collarbone and now had ongoing pain, particularly in his leg, along with hearing loss in his left ear.

She said the paramedic who responded to the accident saw Estreich in Rockhampton Hospital when he returned and told him how serious his injuries had been and that they did not think he would survive.

Magistrate Jason Schubert said he had concerns about the risk Estreich placed members of the public in, driving intoxicated and crashing.

“It is pure luck you didn’t end up killing a member of the public,” he said.

Mr Schubert disqualified Estreich, who had not driven since the accident, from driving for seven months and ordered him to pay a $850 fine.