‘What have I done?’: Drug driver ignored advice, killed cyclist
The daughter of a respected Brisbane lawyer has shared the “living nightmare” her family had endured after losing her father to a medicinal cannabis user’s “careless” choice to drive.
Police & Courts
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A woman who hit and killed a cyclist just hours after using medical cannabis had been told not to drive and ignored the direction, a court has heard.
Respected property lawyer Peter David Sprott was riding his bicycle in Keperra on Saturday, February 17, when he was fatally struck by motorist Susannah Kate Vieritz.
The Brisbane Magistrates’ Court heard Vieritz had driven on the day in question after using medicinal cannabis the night before, despite explicit instructions in her prescription not to drive.
The court heard Vieritz, 46, was driving a blue Kia Stonic south on Dawson Parade at around 10.58am when she attempted to turn right onto Madsen Street.
Mr Sprott was travelling north on Dawson Parade in the dedicated cyclist’s lane when Vieritz turned into his path and collided with him.
The court heard Vieritz remained at the scene until police arrived, and was observed by witnesses screaming out “oh my god” and “call an ambulance”.
Witnesses also described Vieritz saying “what have I done” and “I didn’t see him”.
The court heard Mr Sprott had been wearing a helmet and had been visible to other motorists prior to the crash.
He died at the scene aged 58, leaving behind a loving wife and five children.
His eldest daughter Tessa, 22, read out a statement in court describing their “profound devastation”.
“We will never recover from the trauma that we have experienced,” she said.
“It has been 89 days of a living nightmare that none of us are ever going to wake up from.
“The actions of Ms Vieritz have taken my mother’s soulmate, the centrepiece of our family, our rock, our livelihood.”
“Gone in an instant because of someone else’s careless actions as he rode his bike on a route he had taken so many times before.”
Ms Sprott recounted her last interaction with her father when he dropped her off at the airport as she left for university in January.
“He pulled me in for the last hug I would ever get for him … Seven weeks later, instead of running into his arms at the airport, I am visiting him in a funeral home.”
“I won’t ever be able to get the image of his cold lifeless body out of my head.”
Her mother Christina’s statement described how the day of her husband’s death was “etched into their memory like no other”.
“In a heartbeat on that day, the foundation of (the children’s) respective lives crumbled,” the statement read.
“The despair and sadness is ongoing for us all, with me navigating not only my own grief and psychological injury, but that of our children.”
Vieritz broke down in tears as she listened to the proceedings and to the statements read aloud.
Her defence lawyer Andrew Owens provided a letter of apology from his client to Mr Sprott’s family, along with a letter of remorse to the court.
He explained that Vieritz had become addicted to heroin after a traumatic upbringing.
She had been on the methadone program for 16 years, and had more recently received a prescription for medicinal cannabis for anxiety and depression.
Magistrate Tina Previtera questioned why Vieritz hadn’t sought out psychological counselling for her issues.
“She’s gone from heroin, to suboxone, to medicinal cannabis, to killing someone,” she said.
Ms Previtera said Vieritz’s approval document for medicinal cannabis use clearly stated: “patients should not drive or operate machinery while being treated with medicinal cannabis”.
“You want medicinal cannabis, you’re off the road,” she said.
“ (Vieritz) shouldn’t have been on the road, and if she wasn’t on the road, Mr Sprott would still be alive.”
Vieritz’s criminal and traffic history were mostly dated, with just one relevant drive without due care entry 20 years ago.
Mr Owens said Vieritz had worked in aged care since 2014, and that she had hopes to re-enter that field in future after her conviction is spent.
“She was doing well, caring for her child, working in aged care for 10 years,” he said.
“She was otherwise managing her life well.”
Ms Previtera accepted that Vieritz had taken responsibility for her actions and had co-operated with police.
She noted Vieritz had made admissions to police at the time of the incident that she had used a bong instead of a vaporiser to take her prescription.
But she said Vieritz had “ignored” instructions not to drive at best, and at worst “wilfully disregarded” them.
“A much loved husband, father, friend, son, brother has lost his life,” Ms Previtera said.
“This could have been avoided if you had just followed the instructions … If you had just followed that instruction, nobody would be here today.”
Vieritz pleaded guilty to one count each of driving without due care and attention causing death, and driving with a relevant drug in her saliva.
She was sentenced to eight months jail, wholly suspended for two years.
Vieritz was also ordered to complete two years of probation, and was disqualified from driving for a total of two years.
Convictions were recorded for both offences.
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