Driver who crashed into RBT sentencing adjourned

A serial traffic offender who seriously injured two police officers manning an RBT station had exchanged 29 text messages with his girlfriend in the leadup to the accident. Senior Constable Jonathon Wright had his right foot amputated after the horror crash.

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A serial traffic offender who ploughed into a random breath testing site with a van last year will be sentenced in Sydney on Friday, March 15.

Jakob Thornton, 23, and his girlfriend exchanged 29 text messages between 7.45pm and 8.20pm, the time of the crash, while travelling on the Hume Highway from his workplace at Kirrawee to his then-home at Ruse.

He was reading messages on his phone when he crashed into the RBT site on Campbelltown Rd, Leumeah on February 16 last year seriously injuring two police officers.

Senior Constable Jonathon Wright, who had his right foot amputated as a result of the crash, with wife Lisa.

Senior Constable Jonathon Wright had his right foot amputated, while Senior Constable Matthew Foley suffered a fractured leg after Thornton driving a Fiat van crushed the officers against a police van.

The two officers and their families were in court today for Thornton’s sentence hearing. But Judge John Hatzistergos adjourned the day-long hearing at 4pm and instead will hand down a sentence on March 15.

Thornton told police he had not looked up from his phone for 10 to 20 seconds before the crash and he was travelling at the speed limit.

The van Mr Thornton was driving at the time of the incident. Picture: Gordon McComiskie

Jakob Thornton reporting for bail at Bankstown Police Station last year. Picture: Jeremy Piper

Witnesses in three other vehicles near Thornton said they had seen the police car stopped, including one person who was travelling behind the van.

The court heard Thornton had “put many others at risk” while driving and had “abandoned all responsibility” in the leadup to the crash.

In an interview with police, Thornton said he could “assume pretty well” when asked how he was able to manoeuvre the bend. He also said he had not hit the left side or the middle line.

Thornton pleaded guilty in August last year to two counts of dangerous driving occasioning grievous bodily harm.

Senior Constable Jonathan Wright. Picture: Justin Lloyd.

The court heard Thornton had a number of previous driving offences, including using his phone while driving.

A court previously heard that Thornton had lost his license three times in recent years as a probationary driver and also had been fined for using his mobile phone while driving.

Thornton and his mother, Katja, each wrote apology letters to the officers last year.

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Thornton spent two months and three days behind bars before being bailed in April after his lawyer told the court he had showed symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder.