Micah Pesla Djordjevic sentenced over dangerous driving causing death, grievous bodily harm

“Mummy, I don’t want to die” were the words a girl told her mum after a drug driving dad collided head-on into their vehicle, in a horror crash which killed his own nephew.

Micah Pesla Djordjevic was sentenced over a horror crash which killed his three-year-old nephew Koa Esquivel, and severely injured a mother and daughter on the Sunshine Mwy at Coolum Beach on May 30, 2022.

A Coolum Beach dad had only slept for one hour over a 35 hour period when he caused a horror three-car crash which killed his three-year-old nephew, who was unrestrained in the back seat, and seriously injured two others, a court has been told.

Emotions were high in Maroochydore District Court on Monday as Micah Pesla Djordjevic, 38, was sentenced over a crash which killed his nephew Koa Esquivel, and severely injured a mother and daughter who were travelling in another car on the Sunshine Mwy at Coolum Beach on May 30, 2022.

Djordjevic was supported by his family in the public gallery.

Micah Pesla Djordjevic was jailed over a horror crash which killed his young nephew in 2022.

The court was told Koa was sitting on an armrest in the centre of the backseat of Djordjevic’s car with a single seatbelt across his lap when Djordjevic collided head-on into a Mazda near the roundabout at Coolum Beach on Yandina-Coolum Rd.

A third car travelling behind the Mazda took evasive action and drove into a ditch to avoid hitting the other cars.

Tears were shed as crown prosecutor Michael Andronicus shared details of the moments after the crash.

He said Djordjevic pulled Koa from the wreckage and cuddled him.

“Some of the witnesses then took Koa from the defendant and attempted CPR, until police and ambulance arrived,” Mr Andronicus said.

Three-year-old Koa was killed in this crash after he was unrestrained in the back seat of Micah Djordjevic’s silver 4WD.

Mr Andronicus said Djordjevic told police after the crash he had one hour of sleep in 35 hours.

He had taken the drug ice the day prior, on May 29, but it was not alleged Djordjevic was affected by the drug at the time of the crash.

“He told the ambulance officer everything went black and then he heard a really loud noise,” Mr Andronicus said.

There were no tyre marks left on the road after the crash.

The mother travelling in the other car with her two daughters described in a victim impact statement the moment she turned around to see one of her daughters unconscious in the back seat after impact. They were not known to Djordjevic.

Djordjevic broke down in the dock as the woman recounted the crash with a shaky voice.

Maroochydore Courthouse. Picture: Patrick Woods.

“I just screamed her name trying to get her attention, and then I noticed a lot of people coming to our assistance,” she said.

The young girl regained consciousness and said to her mother “Mummy, I don’t want to die”.

The woman said her daughter spent 10 weeks in hospital and developed a severe medical condition as a result of the crash.

The woman said she suffered a fractured right hip, ruptured intestine, a hernia and fractured left tibia among other cuts and bruises.

Her husband told the court how their family were forced to drive past the crash site frequently after the incident, and hearing of crashes on the Sunshine Mwy triggered traumatic memories.

There was no victim impact statement from Koa’s mother.

Barrister Levis Menolotto told the court his client was “still well thought of” by Koa’s mother and described him as a “family man”.

A reference from Koa’s mother detailed the negative impact Djordjevic’s incarceration would have on his surviving nephew. The court was told Djordjevic was described as the family’s “favourite uncle”.

Micah Pesla Djordjevic leaving Maroochydore Magistrates Court.

Mr Menolotto said Djordjevic was doing his sister “a favour” by driving to pick her up from the Maroochydore Court House after an appointment when the crash occurred.

He told the court Djordjevic had driven the same route five hours earlier with no issues.

Djordjevic’s parents died at a young age and he was raised by an uncle.

He was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive brain cancer when he was a young man and underwent extensive chemotherapy.

Djordjevic pleaded guilty to dangerous operation of a vehicle causing death and grievous bodily harm, driving with a drug in his saliva and driver failing to restrain a child under four.

He was sentenced to four years behind bars, suspended after he serves 12 months.

Outside the courthouse, his supporters were seen hugging before going their separate ways.

Originally published as Micah Pesla Djordjevic sentenced over dangerous driving causing death, grievous bodily harm