Tragic events led to man rolling car while .239 drunk

Before the accident he lost half his home in the Cobraball bushfires and a son.

Emergency services found the man sitting beside his rolled vehicle.

AFTER Boyd Mcdonald rolled his Landcruiser at Bungundarra, paramedics found him sitting alongside the overturned vehicle.

The 43-year-old was taken to hospital from the Browns Lane accident scene on the night of July 7.

While at hospital, a blood sample was taken from Mcdonald and he subsequently returned a reading of 0.239.

Mcdonald pleaded guilty in Yeppoon Magistrates Court on August 6 to drink-driving.

It was there that a tragic series of events leading up to the crash was revealed.

Mcdonald told Magistrate Philippa Beckinsale things started going downhill during last November’s Cobraball/Bungundarra bushfires in which he had lost half of his home.

Mcdonald said two weeks after that, his eldest son had taken his own life.

“It’s been a bit of a hard stretch and this is really out of character to be honest,” Mcdonald said.

Mcdonald tendered a character reference to the court and said he had sought counselling and other professional help.

Magistrate Beckinsale sympathised with Mcdonald who presented himself well and spoke respectfully in court.

“Unfortunately, in the extreme of things, it has been a difficult time for you,” she said.

“Hopefully this is the last of it.

“As a parent you’re never going to recover – that’s with you for the rest of your life.

“I simply don’t know how you get up every day and put your feet forward when you’ve gone through this, but you have done the wrong thing.”

Ms Beckinsale fined Mcdonald $1200 and disqualified him from driving for 12 months.

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