Peter Agius was on Snapchat while driving in lead up to fatal crash

A young driver sent and received 85 Snapchat messages within 12 minutes before slamming into another vehicle, killing a much-loved family man (pictured) and seriously injuring his son.

Adam Sutton (middle), with his son Darcy who was seriously injured in the crash, and daughter Pippa. Mr Sutton was killed in the horrific collision in 2023.

A young driver sent and received more than 80 Snapchats while behind the wheel in the lead up to a horrific crash which killed a Gippsland dad.

Traralgon man Peter Agius wept as he was sentenced in the County Court on Thursday to a minimum of six years behind bars for causing a fatality at the intersection of Traralgon-Maffra and Farmers roads in Glengarry about 3.50pm on January 31, 2023.

The three-car crash killed Glengarry dad and South Gippsland Livestock agent Adam John Sutton and seriously injured his six-year-old son Darcy.

Agius, 23, was found guilty by a jury of culpable driving causing the death and negligently causing serious injury.

Mr Sutton was travelling to his Glengarry home after picking up Darcy from his first day of school when the crash happened.

Livestock agent and much-loved family man Adam Sutton died in a three-car collision caused by distracted driver Peter Agius in Glengarry

Judge Kevin Doyle said Agius received 41 Snapchat messages from 14 different senders and sent 44 messages to 12 people all within 12 minutes of driving prior to the fatality.

Agius told police at the scene that he was reaching for his sunnies and didn’t see the car in front.

“I remember dropping my sunglasses, like they blew off my head so I sort of looked and grabbed them and the car was a fair way upfront,” he told police.

“I was sitting on 90 (km/h). And then when I looked back up it was a couple of lengths away so I swerved and then braked.

“When I looked back up, they were stopped in the middle of the road and I remember hitting, I remember the airbags going off.”

Judge Doyle said on several occasions, Agius had been warned at work not to use his phone when operating machines, including on the day of crash, but ignored the warnings.

Killer driver Peter Agius was on his Snapchat when he slammed into a HiLux driven by livestock agent Adam Sutton at the intersection of Traralgon-Maffra and Farmers roads.

The court also heard about Agius’ prior driving conviction for dangerous driving at La Trobe where he was caught driving at 200km/h between Traralgon and Morwell in Jan 2021.

Judge Doyle said he wasn’t satisfied Agius had shown remorse and insight for his latest offending as he continued to reiterate that he didn’t look at his phone while using it behind the wheel.

“You were an accident waiting to happen. You should have seen Mr Sutton slowing to turn, you should have slowed down in response.

“You failed to because you were not paying attention on the road,” he said.

Agius was sentenced to a total of nine years and eight months’ imprisonment, with six years non-parole.