Amber Noaleen Mabb: Former Burnett woman sentenced for Cushnie crash

A woman who failed to give way at an intersection and caused a horror crash that killed one person and left another two seriously injured has been spared any time behind bars. Here’s what happened when she faced court:

A former Burnett resident has narrowly avoided time behind bars after she was convicted of causing a crash that killed one person and left herself and another seriously injured.

Amber Noaleen Mabb was driving a Toyota Corolla with two passengers along Cushnie Rd just before noon on January 15 when the trio approached an intersection with Chinchilla-Wondai Rd.

Murgon Magistrates Court was told the 24-year-old overshot the intersection and failed to give way to oncoming traffic, with her hatchback crossing into the westbound lanes and colliding with a ute.

Police prosecutor Sean Franklin said the ute smashed into Mabb’s car on the passenger side of the vehicle, with the impact causing the immediate death of 22-year-old Chloe Victoria Dove, who was sitting in the front seat.

Intersection of Cuchnie Rd and Chinchilla – Wondai Rd at Cushnie.

The crash also left Mabb’s other passenger with serious injuries, and both the 22-year-old Surfers Paradise man and Mabb were treated at the scene before being flown to the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital.

Mabb was charged in November, 2021, with dangerous operation of a vehicle causing death and dangerous operation of a vehicle causing grievous bodily harm.

Her charges were downgraded to driving without due care causing death and driving without due care causing grievous bodily harm when she faced the Murgon court this week.

Mabb pleaded guilty to both counts.

Defence lawyer Michael Kelly told the court that Mabb was “deeply remorseful” for the crash and was unfamiliar with the road she was driving on at the time.

“This shows that life is very much about seconds,” Mr Kelly said.

“It is absolutely tragic, and unfortunately while we have motor vehicles on our roads, the court will continuously see (cases like) this before it.”

He added that Mabb was pregnant at the time of the crash, but miscarried as a result of the collision.

Mabb was sentenced to five months’ jail, wholly suspended for two years.

She was also disqualified from driving for 12 months.