Donna Nichole Stevens: Tara woman sentenced for dangerous driving causing death

A court has heard a woman who crashed and killed three men while driving with alcohol and marijuana in her system continued to drug drive despite being responsible for shattering three families.

A woman who was under the influence of marijuana and alcohol when she crashed, killing three of her friends, told a psychologist she was still driving after using drugs despite the horrific crash.

Donna Nichole Stevens cried in the dock as she was sentenced to nearly a decade in jail for dangerous driving causing death while affected by intoxicating substances.

She will be eligible for parole in less than three years.

The 43-year-old was driving on Chinchilla-Tara Road on May 8, 2020 when she attempted to overtake a vehicle on double-white lines.

Her car left the road and collided with a tree 7m from the road before landing in a culvert and bursting into flames.

The scene of the fatal crash on Chinchilla Tara Road. Pic: Peta McEachern

Her three passengers in the back of the vehicle died at the scene, while her partner, who was the front-seat passenger, was able to climb out of the car and remove Stevens from the vehicle.

Mr Davies and other motorists tried to extricate passengers Clinton Thompson, Casey Porter, and David Jones but were forced back by the flames.

Dalby District Court was told the fire was so intense that a forensic examination was unable to determine what speed the car was travelling at or whether seatbelts were used.

The death of Clinton Thompson left four children without a father.

The Tara father with a ‘heart of gold’ was critically injured in a serious crash in 2017, miraculously pulling through and proving medical specialists wrong before he was killed in the 2020 crash.

Mr Porter was remembered by family and friends as a cheeky daredevil who adored his nieces and nephews and would do anything to help out when needed.

Stevens spent 21 days in a coma after being flown from the scene to hospital in Brisbane.

Blood samples taken two hours after the crash revealed Stevens had marijuana in her system and a BAC of 0.067, with a medical expert telling the court it was likely her level would have been about 0.1 at the time of the crash.

The prosecution said Stevens had continued to show a “disregard for traffic laws” and during a psychological assessment admitted she was continuing to smoke marijuana before getting behind the wheel.

Defence barrister Frank Martin contended that Stevens was extremely remorseful for the crash.

“She’s in constant tears … she has to live the rest of her life knowing that she’s responsible for the tragic loss that she caused,” Mr Martin said.

Four victim impact statements were provided to the court, including one from Casey Porter’s mother Donna Porter who spoke of being “forever haunted” by her memories of the moment she was told of her son’s death.

The Thompson and Porter families pay tribute to their sons at the memorial site of the crash on Chinchilla Tara Road Pic: Peta McEachern

David Jones’ aunt Kaylene Dwyer’s statement also spoke of her heartache, but despite her devastation she pleaded for Stevens to be spared jail time.

“I have never and will never hold a grudge against her for what happened,” Ms Dwyer said.

“Please do not send her to jail – this accident has damaged so many lives already. Don’t let her children hurt anymore, they need their mum.”

Judge Dennis Lynch acknowledged the statement, but remained firm that a custodial sentence was warranted given the loss of life.

“No sentence that the court can impose can ever address the hardship suffered by the family and friends of those who have been lost,” Judge Lynch said.

Stevens was sentenced to eight years in jail with a parole eligibility date set at April 7, 2024.

He also ordered that Stevens be disqualified absolutely from obtaining a driver’s licence due to the “catastrophic” consequences of the crash, meaning she will never be allowed to hold a licence again.

Stevens also pleaded guilty to three summary offences of driving under the influence, driving an unregistered vehicle, and driving an uninsured vehicle for which she was convicted and not further punished.