Aleya Kara Butler Aravena in Maroochydore court for causing bodily harm

A young Sunshine Coast uni student has been sentenced after she crashed into a motorcyclist, causing the rider to suffer a brain injury. Read what happened in court:

A 22-year-old university student has escaped with a fine for causing a motorcyclist a brain injury when she crashed into him at Forest Glen.

Aleya Kara Butler Aravena was fined $800 and disqualified from driving for six months after pleading guilty to one charge of driving without due care and attention causing grievous bodily harm.

Police prosecutor Mick Ruddiman said Butler Aravena was driving her Jeep along Mons Rd in Forest Glen when she made a left turn onto Parsons Rd and crashed into a Yamaha motorcycle in October, 2021.

Investigations revealed she had turned across the path of the motorcycle causing a collision and the victim was taken to hospital.

Butler Aravena spoke to police at the scene and provided a specimen of breath that returned a negative result.

The victim received “severe” injuries including a brain injury and multiple fractures of the ribs, vertebrae and other body parts.

Sergeant Ruddiman said the victim had since moved back in with his family after living independently.

“Any one of us could be here (in the defendant’s position) because it was a moment of inattendance that has resulted in something awful,” Sergeant Ruddiman said.

Defence solicitor Anna Smith said the 22-year-old drove the road regularly and knew it was a notoriously dangerous intersection.

Ms Smith said her client was studying a Bachelor of Science and wanted to go on to study veterinary science.

Butler Aravena’s mother and grandmother both have cancer and she had been relying on her licence to drive them around, the court was told.

“She is a decent, hard working member of the community … she’s remorseful and genuinely upset for the injury she caused the complainant,” Ms Smith said.

“She knows the impact it will cause to him because she herself rode a motorbike in 2019 and was hit by a car and suffered injuries.”

Magistrate Haydn Stjernqvist fined the student $800 and disqualified her for six months.

No conviction was recorded.