Bridgette Lal sentenced over negligent driving causing scooter rider serious injuries

A scooter rider sustained serious head and body injuries and spent 17 days in hospital after a crash and now the accused driver has faced court.

A Kingsgrove woman has been banned from driving for 12 months and fined $1000 after she collided with a scooter rider outside Rockdale Plaza last year.

The rider sustained significant injuries and was in hospital for 17 days.

Bridgette Vanisha Lal, 23, appeared in Sutherland Local Court on Thursday where she was sentenced for negligent driving causing grievous bodily harm.

Agreed facts tendered to court said Lal was driving a silver RAV4 on March 12 shortly before 9pm when she manoeuvred her car into the right hand turn lane slowing to between 40 to 50km/h.

At the same time, a man was riding a Honda scooter in the opposite direction and he proceeded through the green traffic light.

A Kingsgrove woman Bridgette Lal was supported in court by her partner. She was sentenced for driving negligently causing grievous bodily harm to a motorcyclist in Rockdale last year. Picture: Ashleigh Tullis

Lal started turning into Rockdale Plaza Drive crossing the southbound lanes and collided with the scooter, court documents said.

The man landed heavily on the roadway.

According to documents, emergency services arrived to find the man conscious at the scene but his condition deteriorated quickly.

He was taken to St George Hospital in a critical condition where he underwent surgery for internal injuries.

The man was admitted to hospital for 17 days and required numerous intervention and care teams.

He suffered a head wound, rib and pelvic fractures, internal bleeding and bruising among other injuries.

Lal returned a negative alcohol and drug test at the crash site before she was also taken to St George Hospital for mandatory samples.

She was then conveyed to Kogarah Police Station where she told officers she was facing a green light and made the right turn but did not see any vehicles travelling towards her prior to entering the intersection nor had time to see the scooter before the collision.

St George Police secured the scene with crash investigation unit officers attending. Lal’s car was seized and later examined.

The crash occurred on the Princes Highway, Rockdale at the intersection of Rockdale Plaza Road, near Rockdale Plaza. Picture: Google Maps

Investigators collected poor-quality CCTV from a nearby McDonalds which depicted the scooter approaching the intersection at low speed then proceeded into it, but does not capture the collision.

Other footage showed both lanes of traffic on the Princes Highway had green traffic lights.

Lal was later charged.

In court on Thursday, Magistrate Hugh Donnelly said there was a standard of care that all drivers agreed to when they got behind the wheel.

He assessed Lal’s nature of driving to determine how negligent her actions were, determining it was towards the lower end because she was not speeding, had no alcohol or drugs in her system and was a relatively young and inexperienced driver.

“You misjudged the turn,” Magistrate Donnelly said. “You did everything asked of you at the scene and the police station; you assisted, wrote a letter of apology and did the traffic offender program.

“You present to this court as a person of otherwise good character.

“I don’t expect to see you before the court ever again.”

Magistrate Donnelly said he had to balance Lal’s low level of negligent driving with the serious injuries the rider sustained noting he could not dismiss the charge without conviction.

Instead he placed her on a 12-month community correction order, fined her $1000 and disqualified her from driving for 12 months.