Renee Wilson pleads over Bacchus Marsh Rd crash

A 42-year-old learner driver was lucky no one was seriously hurt when she tried to get past a merging driver on a deadly stretch.

Roadworks on Bacchus Marsh Rd in 2021. Picture: Alison Wynd

A magistrate has scolded a learner driver who left the scene of a crash on a notorious Geelong road.

Renee Wilson, 42, appeared in the Geelong Magistrates Court via prison link on Wednesday and pleaded guilty to a number of charges relating to an accident on Bacchus Marsh Rd in Little River.

Police prosecutor leading senior constable Kylie Jane told the court that Wilson, who was on her L-plates, failed to give way to the driver of an MG at about 4.30pm on February 15.

The woman was merging back onto the main road from an overtaking lane when Wilson’s Subaru Forester struck her from behind, before colliding with a centre barrier.

Police arrived soon after and spoke to the victim and a woman who nominated herself as Wilson’s supervising driver, but Wilson had left the scene.

Her Subaru did not have L-plates attached and the registration was suspended, the court heard.

Wilson later told police she left because she had panicked.

Her lawyer, Matilda Jones, told the court Wilson was halfway through a six-month sentence for drug-related offending imposed on February 27.

Ms Jones said the crash was caused by Wilson’s “lack of judgement” – she thought the victim was hesitating before merging and made the “foolish” choice to try and overtake.

The crash was a “frightening” experience for Wilson and her car was written off as a result of the crash, Ms Jones said, adding Wilson was aware her licence “was on the chopping block”.

Wilson had diagnoses of PTSD, stimulant use disorder, anxiety and depression, as well as a mild-brain injury stemming from past traumas, Ms Jones said.

The court heard she also had an “extremely poor” driving history.

Constable Jane told the court Wilson had made a “very poor decision” to block a car in on the 100km/h stretch.

“We are very lucky we are sitting here today in the Magistrates Court,” Constable Jane said.

She argued Bacchus Marsh Rd was a notoriously bad road that saw regular fatalities, and that Wilson’s driving needed to be made an example of.

Magistrate Simon Guthrie agreed it was a notorious stretch of road and said Wilson was lucky nobody was seriously injured.

“Who leaves the scene of an accident in these circumstances?” Mr Guthrie asked.

Mr Guthrie fined Wilson $1000 plus costs and disqualified her from driving for six months.

He told Wilson leaving the scene of an accident without stopping and rendering assistance was “unforgivable”.

“Your car’s been written off, you’ve left someone behind … that’s not the sort of behaviour normal people would do,” he told Wilson, warning her not to be tempted to drive without a licence.

Originally published as Renee Wilson pleads over Bacchus Marsh Rd crash