Natalie Jane Hardy convicted after Eastern Dorrigo Way, Brooklana, crash

A wet road, a bald tyre, and a decision to drive after a day of drinking ended in heartache on a rural road near Coffs Harbour. Here is how it played out in court.

A volunteer firefighter who left a party after a long day out saw her world turned upside down within minutes of hitting the road.

Natalie Jane Hardy, 37, of Ulong west of Coffs Harbour, sustained severe injuries, as did a number of passengers when the Toyota Landcruiser she was driving left the road and struck a tree head-on.

On Wednesday, Coffs Harbour Local Court heard that Hardy had been at a Christmas Day celebration, and according to police facts, had been drinking since 11am, consuming eight drinks.

At about 1.25am on Boxing Day, she left the party with a number of other people in the four-wheel-drive. Within five minutes she lost control trying to negotiate a corner on Eastern Dorrigo Way at Brooklana, the court heard.

A passer-by came upon the crash scene and police and ambulance were called.

Natalie Jane Hardy was convicted of drive with middle range PCA, negligent driving occasioning grievous bodily harm and three seatbelt offences when she appeared in Coffs Harbour Local Court on August 10.

Hardy sustained facial and other injuries, a passenger suffered broken ribs, and another, a broken jaw.

A third passenger suffered severe facial fractures, and a skull fracture, and was flown to John Hunter Hospital.

At the scene, police noticed one of the tyres on the Landcruiser was bald, the court heard.

Hardy’s lawyer Scott James told the court it had been raining that night and the road corner was a known accident spot.

Magistrate Ian Rodgers said Hardy wasn’t breath-tested at the scene, but a subsequent blood alcohol sample indicated a 0.10 reading.

Describing the crash as a “very serious event”, Mr Rodgers said Hardy’s traffic history was “a record that goes in her favour”.

The court heard Hardy was remorseful for the incident, and had pleaded guilty to all charges stemming from it.

Mr James said his client had been working two jobs at the time and was “embarrassed” by the event.

Police prosecutor David Sams told the court Hardy “consciously chose to do this”, and that it was “her choice to drink excessively”.

Hardy was convicted of negligent driving occasioning grievous bodily harm, middle range drink driving and three seatbelt offences.

On the negligent driving charge, Mr Rogers sentenced her to an intensive corrections order of three months and disqualified her from driving for 12 months.

For driving with a middle range prescribed concentration of alcohol, Hardy was given a two-year community corrections order, a vehicle interlock order of 12 months and disqualified from driving for three months.

Hardy was fined $330 on each of the three seatbelt charges.