Ethan Hart, 25, from Lansdowne pleads guilty in Taree court to dangerous driving occasioning grievous bodily harm, drug driving

A young driver on meth and cannabis crashed into an oncoming car, leaving his passenger and another driver with severe injuries ranging from a broken back to a lacerated liver.

Taree Police Station and Taree Courthouse.

A young driver high on meth and cannabis crashed into an oncoming car, leaving his female passenger suffering from a broken back, lung damage and deep cuts to her spleen and liver.

The driver in the oncoming car also had to be rushed to hospital with internal bruising to her bowel and foot injuries after Ethan Izac Hart’s collision on Upper Lansdowne Rd about 4.50pm on December 24 last year.

The 25-year-old Upper Lansdowne man Hart faced Taree Local Court on Tuesday.

He pleaded guilty to driving under the influence of drugs and dangerous driving occasioning grievous bodily harm.

Ethan Izac Hart leaves Taree Local Court on Tuesday.

Hart told police that he looked down at his phone to change music being played on the stereo of his Toyota HiLux before the crash.

His vehicle crossed onto the wrong side of the road and the female driver of an Audi hatchback had to take evasive action.

Hart’s passenger alerted him and he swerved back onto his side of the road but it was too late, police state in documents tendered to the court.

After the collision, Hart walked over to the Audi which had come to rest on a grass verge and apologised to the female driver.

He then carried his injured female passenger to the side of the road.

Police arrived and observed Hart to have glazed and bloodshot eyes.

Hart passed a breath test and was arrested for the purpose of blood and urine testing.

He told officers he was a “stoner”, or words to that effect, and that he had smoked cannabis about 3am that morning, police state.

Testing later showed Hart had methamphetamines and cannabis in his system at the time of the crash and a senior pharmacologist ruled he would have been under the influence.

The female driver of the Audi suffered injuries to her foot and internal bruising to her bowel, possibly from the seat belt.

Hart’s passenger ended up at John Hunter Hospital, where she underwent surgery for a T12 compression fracture and was treated for the other injuries.

The case has been adjourned to January 30 for a sentencing assessment report to be completed.