Steven Curtis pleads guilty to dangerous driving death of Gympie’s Joy Kaloczy

A young Brisbane driver’s inexplicable decision to overtake a convoy of cars at high speed on a single-lane regional highway had devastating consequences for both himself and the innocent couple he slammed into head-on.

Wheelchair-bound Steven Curtis, 37, faced Gympie District Court for dangerous driving causing death, almost four years after the shocking crash at Lower Wonga which killed 59-year-old Joy Kaloczy.

A Brisbane man who caused the death of a Gympie woman two weeks after her daughter’s wedding was ultimately left in a wheelchair by his inexplicable actions and sentenced to jail.

Steven Curtis, 37, pleaded guilty and was sentenced in Gympie District Court for dangerous driving causing death, almost four years after he overtook a convoy of vehicles at high speed on the notorious Wide Bay Highway, slamming into Joy Kaloczy head-on at Lower Wonga and killing her.

Crown prosecutor Michael Andronicus said Curtis was heading west on the highway in his white 2005 Holden Commodore on October 14 2020, about 10.20am when he came up behind eight vehicles, including a truck with a trailer.

Each vehicle was travelling about the 100km/h speed limit, Mr Andronicus said.

Instead of following them Curtis ignored the single white line running down the highway, overtaking the vehicles so fast their occupants later told police it felt like they were “standing still”.

Wheelchair-bound Steven Curtis, 37, faced Gympie District Court for dangerous driving causing death, almost four years after the shocking crash at Lower Wonga which killed 59-year-old Joy Kaloczy.

He had gone past “four or five” of the vehicles and, still on the wrong side of the road when it rounded a curved, found himself in the path of an oncoming Isuzu DMax carrying 59-year-old Mrs Kaloczy and her husband, James.

Each vehicle tried to swerve, the court heard, but ultimately collided head-on.

Mrs Kaloczy suffered multiple life-threatening injuries in the crash and was flown to Royal Brisbane Hospital for trauma surgery.

She died three days later, on October 18.

Mr Kaloczy suffered multiple severe injuries in the crash, including a compression fracture and multiple abdominal contusions.

A victim impact statement from Mr Kaloczy was read aloud to the court by Mr Andronicus.

Curtis, whose car caught fire following the collision, suffered burns to the back of his left calf and suffered multiple fractures.

Steven Curtis had overtaken “four or five” vehicles on the Wide Bay Highway and was still on the wrong side of the road when he rounded a curve and found himself in the path of an oncoming Isuzu DMax carrying Joy Kaloczy and her husband, James. Mrs Kaloczy suffered multiple injuries in the crash, and died three days later.

A passer-by who stopped at the crash extinguished the vehicle fire.

Curtis was flown to Sunshine Coast University Hospital for treatment.

Mr Andronicus said tests later discovered small traces of meth and THC in his blood.

It was not alleged he was under the influence of anything at the time of the crash.

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The court was told Curtis discharged himself from hospital against medical advice on October 31, only to return on November 4 for treatment on his leg, with “maggots and pus” pulled from a skin graft.

He was on parole at the time of the crash.

The court heard he then “absconded” to Victoria before being charged, and ultimately remanded in custody in the southern state on another matter.

Steven Curtis had overtaken “four or five” vehicles on the Wide Bay Highway and was still on the wrong side of the road when he rounded a curve and found himself in the path of an oncoming Isuzu DMax carrying Joy Kaloczy and her husband, James. Mrs Kaloczy suffered multiple injuries in the crash, and died three days later.

His criminal and traffic history included cases of theft of a motor vehicle, threats to destroy property, and driving in a dangerous manner following a “falling out” with another person over a debt.

On this latter occasion he had driven out of the person’s property, made a U-turn, and then drove straight at them, forcing them to dive for safety.

Curtis’s defence lawyer told the court his client was suffering from multiple physical health issues, and was facing the possibility of having one leg partially amputated.

The court heard he grew up exposed to domestic violence, moved around as a youth, attending 15 different schools, and was homeless by age 18.

Judge Michael Byrne adjourned Curtis’s sentencing until an undetermined future date, owing to complexities and questions about time already served in custody, and the status of his parole.

It was at this time he started having substance abuse issues.

A psychological report tendered to the court identified Curtis’s IQ as being lower than 99 per cent of his peers, the court was told.

He also self-reported being bipolar, and suffering from PTSD and ADHD.

Judge Michael Byrne adjourned Curtis’s sentencing until an undetermined future date, owing to complexities and questions about time already served in custody, and the status of his parole.

He had been in custody for about the past two years and was on Friday remanded back into custody.

Originally published as Steven Curtis pleads guilty to dangerous driving death of Gympie’s Joy Kaloczy