Mount Ousley fatal crash: Queensland woman Kirsten Anthony collided with motorcyclist friend

A Queensland woman visiting NSW to celebrate a friend buying a new house has had her life turned upside down after being charged with negligent driving occasioning death in the wake of a horror crash in the Illawarra.

The crash on Mount Ousley claimed the life of a 31-year-old man and caused traffic chaos for hours. Picture: Facebook

An inexperienced Queensland driver “tried to take evasive action” before “indirectly” crashing into and killing her friend on the main road into the Illawarra on Friday afternoon, a court has heard.

Kirsten Anthony, 24, was driving a Toyota SUV with a box trailer southbound along the M1 Motorway on Mount Ousley while she was being led by a 31-year-old male friend who was riding a motorbike.

The court heard shortly after 4pm the vehicles in front of Anthony “stopped suddenly” with her lawyer Jordon Mechan submitting she “tried to take evasive action and this what caused the accident to some extent”.

Emergency services arrived on the scene about 4.10pm, by which stage the rider was dead.

Anthony was uninjured and taken to Wollongong Hospital for mandatory testing.

Officers established a crime scene and following inquiries they charged Anthony with negligent driving occasioning death.

Southbound traffic was severely impacted with the road fully reopening in both directions more than five hours later.

Anthony, who is from the Lockyer Valley west of Brisbane, was refused police bail before applying for conditional liberty in Wollongong Local Court on Saturday.

Lockyer Valley woman Kirsten Anthony is charged with negligent driving occasioning death. Picture: LinkedIn

In court, the police prosecutor opposed bail, submitting concerns about Anthony further endangering the community and risks of her failing to appear given she is from “well out of the NSW jurisdiction”.

Mr Mechan told the court the crash was a “tragic and sad accident” on a “dangerous road” which Anthony had only driven on it “a handful of times”.

The lawyer said she was in Wollongong to see her friends after one of them had purchased a new home.

“The fact sheet at its highest doesn’t actually state that much negligence other than being unable to stop the vehicle when vehicles in front of her have stopped suddenly,” he said.

“[It] is a situation that most people could perhaps find themselves in.”
Mr Mechan submitted Anthony had a number of mental and physical health concerns, further exacerbated by the “vicarious trauma” caused by the crash.

Kirsten Anthony appeared in Wollongong Local Court to apply for bail on Saturday.

Registrar Angela Wilson granted Anthony bail after noting she came “before the court under very tragic circumstances”.

Ms Wilson ordered Anthony to report to Wollongong police daily, provide a residential address within 24 hours of release, attend a doctor to receive a mental health care plan and deposit a $500 surety.

Mr Mechan told the court Anthony did not wish to drive after the collision, however, the registrar imposed a further condition barring Anthony from occupying the driver’s seat of a motor vehicle.

Police inquiries regarding the crash are continuing with it also to be reviewed by the serious motor vehicle collision review panel.

Anthony will return to court later this month.

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