Jialun Wang crashed McLaren car on M1 Eastern Distributor
Cashed up student Jialun Wang was living the dream in Sydney, cruising around in the McLaren his father bought him. But one too many beers combined with a tricky tunnel on the M1 resulted in disaster.
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A Chinese university student who drunkenly crashed his parents’ luxury McLaren on the M1 is a “keen” motor racing fan who has “no explanation” of how he lost control of his “powerful beast”.
Downing Centre Local Court heard Jialun Wang, 23, had been at a party prior to writing off the 500 horse power sports car at 4.30am on August 22 south bound on the Waterloo/Redfern section of the eastern distributor.
A new McLaren starts at just under half a million dollars with even second hand models going for an eye-watering $300,000.
The UNSW student pleaded guilty to mid-range drink driving after blowing 0.085 and was represented by barrister Malcolm Ramage QC.
Mr Ramage told Magistrate Kate Thompson the civil engineering student, who is working on his post graduate degree, was driving an “almost ridiculously powerful motor vehicle” which was in his name but purchased for him by his parents.
“He can give almost no explanation how the accident happened. He collided with the side of the bollard,” Mr Ramage said.
“His explanation is he just lost control coming out of one of the tunnels.
“These are very powerful beasts - they carry 500 horse power.”
Mr Ramage told the court since arriving in Australia in September last year, Wang had only one other traffic infringement for speeding at more than 10km/h but less than 20km/h over the speed limit in May.
Fortunately, both Wang and his passenger were uninjured in the crash.
The McLaren didn’t fare as well according to Mr Ramage who said there was “significant damage to the vehicle rendering it unable to be driven”.
“He is very keen on motor racing. He’s a member of the motor racing club which is why he owns a McLaren,” Mr Ramage said.
“He also confesses while he said (to police) he only had one beer, what he meant was he only had one beer in the hour before he left the party.”
Magistrate Thompson convicted Wang and fined him $600.
He is disqualified from driving for three months after which time he will be subject to a 12 month interlock device order.