Nicole Prochnik: Turramurra teenager crashes car on Satterley Ave, drives to 7/11

After sneaking into a family friend’s bedroom and stealing their car keys, a teenager set off on a late night adventure. However, she didn’t even manage pull out onto the road without crashing.

After sneaking into the bedroom of a family friend, an unlicensed 19-year-old driver pocketed their car keys and set off on an early morning drive to a servo — but as soon as she started up the engine, she crashed into back of car parked on the street.

Nicole Prochnik, of Turramurra, pleaded guilty to dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception, taking and driving a car without the consent of the vehicle’s owner, negligent driving and driving without holding a license.

The court heard at the time of these offences Prochnik was on a community corrections order (CCO) and on conditional bail, with one of the conditions being to not leave her mum’s Turramurra home between 8pm and 6am.

But on December 19 2021, Prochnik broke these conditions — first by using her mother’s phone, without Ms Prochnik’s consent, to call an Uber just after 2am for a friend in Waitara, a court heard.

Documents tendered to Hornsby Local Court lay out how the rest of Prochnik’s early morning jaunt.

Nicole Prochnik, leaving Hornsby Local Court. Picture: Odessa Blain

Just after 3am, Prochnik entered the bedroom of a family friend and snuck out with his car keys, a court heard.

Then, in this quiet suburban Turramurra street, Prochnik entered the car and prepared to drive.

“ (Prochnik) put the vehicle key in the ignition and put the vehicle in motion,” court documents state. “At the same time, the front of this car collided with the rear of a blue Subaru, which was parked in front and unattended.”

The court heard both vehicles sustained “noticeable damage” but Prochnik did not stop or leave any message for the Subaru’s owner.

Instead, she drove to a 7/11 servo to buy a drink, the court heard.

But when Prochnik arrived home around 4am she once again struggled to park the car in the same spot she first drove off from, a court heard.

Nicole Prochnik puffs on her vape after leaving court. Picture: Odessa Blain.

So she contacted the owner of the car she was driving and asked him to help her park his car.

“(When the owner) walked outside and helped park the vehicle … he noticed the damage to the front of his car and the rear of the blue Subaru,” court documents state.

“When he asked Prochnik what happened, she said: ‘I’m so sorry, I will pay to fix it, the guy at the service station said it will only be $100.”

In Hornsby Local Court, Prochnik’s defence said she entered pleas of guilty, was cooperative with police and had a difficult adolescence.

But Magistrate Leanne Robinson said this was not an insignificant matter because it involved deception and theft.

“There are victims in these matters,” Ms Robinson said, referring to the damaged car’s owner and Prochnik’s mother.

“And you are very fortunate that there was only damage to a vehicle — not to a person and not to yourself, you could have died.”

For her offences, Prochnik was convicted and placed on a nine month community corrections order. She was also fined $200 for driving without ever holding a NSW driver’s license and $50 for dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception.