24-year-old man charged for fatal Toolakea beach buggy crash
A 24-year-old man is the second person to be charged over the fatal buggy crash which killed Jacob Ingles last year. Read the details.
Townsville
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The alleged driver of a buggy that fatally crashed at Toolakea Beach last year, killing 25-year-old Jacob Francis Ingles, has been charged.
A 24-year-old man has been charged with dangerous operation of a vehicle causing death or grievous bodily harm, driving an unregistered and uninsured vehicle on a road, and driving while over the middle alcohol limit.
A police spokesman said the man was charged on Friday and is due to appear in the Townsville Magistrates Court on July 11.
Castle Hill man Bruce Allan Butler was also charged in relation to the incident and fronted court earlier in the year for permitting an uninsured vehicle to be driven on a road.
The tragic crash happened around 2:15am on the morning of August 16.
Mr Ingles was a passenger in the ATV buggy when it rolled on Toolakea Beach.
Despite the efforts of emergency responders, he died at the scene.
The two other passengers sustained non-life threatening injuries.
The North Queensland community was devastated by the loss of the young man, who had recently graduated with a geology degree.
Close family friend Chloe Winterbottom described Mr Ingles as “a kind and intelligent young man who had so much love for everyone around him.”
“He loved his NRL and AFL; he would spend the majority of his weekends supporting his favourite teams, the Cowboys and Collingwood, with his family and friends,” Ms Winterbottom said.
Toolakea resident Breanna Wyburg was among the first to see the aftermath of the crash and said it had shattered the beachside community.
“We’re a tight-knit community out here, so when something like this happens, it has a ripple effect on us all,” she said.
A police spokesman said they would like to remind the public in Queensland a UTV, quad bike and motorbike are all motor vehicles and are required to be registered if used on a road.
“In Queensland, a beach is a road,” he said.
“As a result, all road rules apply when a motor vehicle is driven on the beach, and you should never drink and drive.”
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Originally published as 24-year-old man charged for fatal Toolakea beach buggy crash
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