Nathaniel Hartwick-Buck in Maroochydore court for drug driving, theft

A concreter had a “terrible price to pay” for his drug driving after he pulled over and was hit by a passing car, causing his leg to be amputated.

A Sunshine Coast concreter who fell asleep at the wheel while drug driving on the Bruce Highway was then hit by another car and spent three months in hospital, a court has heard.

Nathaniel Marsden Hartwick-Buck, 27, was sentenced to 15 months’ prison to be released on parole immediately and disqualified from driving for two years and three months in Maroochydore Magistrates Court on June 27, 2022.

The court heard Hartwick-Buck was driving disqualified and with methamphetamine in his system when he fell asleep at the wheel at Coles Creek and crashed into the guard rail on June 3, 2021.

“You got out of the car and a passing motorist has run you down causing a catastrophic injury to the lower part of your left leg so it was a terrible price to pay for your driving,” Magistrate Matthew McLaughlin said.

Prosecutor James Allen said Hartwick-Buck had also stolen number plates from a car parked at an apartment complex on April 10, 2021, and replaced them with plates that were also stolen.

On the same date he also unlawfully used a car without consent the person of the owner.

Magistrate McLaughlin said it was a “well-practised routine” that Hartwick-Buck had put thought and preparation into.

“You were bold enough to go into a premises and steal number plates so they could be attached to a stolen car you were involved with,” he told the court.

Mr Allen said Hartwick-Buck had a lengthy Victorian criminal history of similar offending where he had served periods of time in prison.

After failing to appear four times after the offending, Hartwick-Buck was arrested and taken to the watch house where he wilfully damaged a mattress in the cell causing $142.50 in damage.

Defence solicitor Katie Patterson said her client was in a coma for five days after the car hit him in June 2021.

Hartwick-Buck had his leg amputated and spent a total of three months in hospital.

“In addition to his time in hospital he also had to undergo extensive physio and as a result of the incident has also suffered significant psychological detriment,” Ms Patterson told the court.

Ms Patterson said her client’s substance use was the main contributing factor to his offending and he was homeless at the time.

The 27-year-old had been living in Melbourne for 20 years and got caught up in the wrong crowd before moving to Queensland for a fresh start.

“He had extreme difficulty in breaking the cycle of getting caught up in substances and crime,” Ms Patterson said.

Ms Patterson said Hartwick-Buck started using drugs at the age of 18 after his father passed away and worked as a qualified plaster before gaining employment as a concreter.

The court heard he plans to live with his mother at Pacific Paradise once he is released.

Mr McLaughlin declared the 73 days Hartwick-Buck spent in custody as time already served and disqualified him from driving for two years and three months.

“I’m hoping that injury has been a real wake-up call to you that you need to change your life,” he said.

“You could have died that day so easily and if you hadn’t been out that day breaking the law it wouldn’t have happened.”