Matthew Tozeland: High Range drink driving rampage ends in six-car crash
A man was caught high range drink driving in Hornsby Heights after a crash which caused damage to six cars. Now he has been sentenced in court.
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A man who turned to booze following a family breakdown decided to get behind the wheel, leaving a path of destruction in his place after a shocking crash which caused damage to six cars, a court has heard.
Matthew Paul Tozeland, 32, of Ellalong was sentenced at Hornsby Local Court on Thursday after pleading guilty to high-range drink-driving on April 17.
The incident happened between 7.25pm and 7.31pm on Somerville Rd Hornsby Heights, with Tozeland returning a breath test reading of 0.153.
According to papers tendered in court, Tozeland was driving a white Nissan Nivara and was heading east when he lost control of his vehicle and collided into the back of a Izuzu D-Max, “causing extensive damage to the rear right end of the vehicle buckling the rear right wheel”.
But documents reveal Tozeland kept driving in an easterly direction where he collided front on with the side of a silver Honda Jazz, and then as he continued in the same direction and smashed the rear right side of a Holden Commodore Station wagon.
Police facts state the impact caused the Holden to move forward and it collided into a silver Hyundai i30, with damage to both cars.
Immediately after, the driver “swerved across double white lanes and into an oncoming lane” where he crashed into a white Mazda 2 and then “swerved back across the double white lines and continued in an easterly direction”, police facts state.
It’s conceded in court documents, he continues to drive and hits a Toyota Yaris, which causes him to come to a stop where residents heard “loud bangs” and came to his aid.
When police arrived at the Tozeland told police, “I was driving and a bike pulled in front of me and I swerved” and soon after he was subject to a breath test, which returned a 0.180 result, leading to his arrest.
A second test at Hornsby police station returned a result of 0.153 grams and his licence was suspended.
During court proceedings on Thursday his lawyer Ahmed Dib urged the magistrate to consider an exemption to the interlock period.
“There’s an $80,000 debt due to civil claims against him... There was a fall out between him and his brother who he runs a family run company with and there are civil claims between brothers,” Mr Dib said.
“He said he’s seeing a psychologist. It has impacted on his mental health and on his decision making. He’s had an argument with his brother’s wife. He’s driven off foolishly.
“He entered plea of guilty at the first opportunity, and in my submission he’s unlikely to reoffend again.”
The magistrate said even if he own vehicle was ridden off, she was concerned he had access to company vehicles.
“It’s a serious collision. He says he passed out and that’s why more cars are involved, but it’s because he was drink driving and that’s what happens when you drink drive,” Magistrate McManus said.
“There’s six cars you’ve crashed into. It was only 7.30pm you could have killed anyone on the road or on the footpath. Not that long ago NSW came to a stop when those children were killed by a driver, and two families were devastated.
“If this court can stop people like you drink driving, then this is the aim, it’s so other people aren’t killed by drink drivers and police don’t have to go to your door and tell your wife and kids that you’re one of those statistics.”
Tozeland said the incident had changed the workplace culture.
“We’ve made a rule that everyone gets breath tested”.
Tozeland was disqualified from driving for eight months and was placed on a two year interlock period.
He also received a Community Corrections Order with a conviction for 14 months.