Zachary Andrew Jones jailed for Vermont car crash, passengers seriously injured

A man who seriously injured his “terrified” four passengers after he crashed his car in Vermont while drunk, high and on a suspended licence has been jailed for four years and nine months.

The car came to a rest on its side, with all five occupants having to be taken to hospital.

A man who “terrified” and seriously injured his four passengers after he crashed his car in Vermont while drunk, high and on a suspended licence has been jailed for four years and nine months.

Zachary Andrew Jones’ four-wheel drive reached speeds of 140km/h and ran a red light before it became airborne and crashed at an intersection on December 9, 2017, the County Court heard.

The crash left one of Jones’ passengers, Gol Luk, with life-threatening injuries, and the other three, Asyai Luk, Terrence Stevens and Abiar Nyok, with “severe” injuries, while he suffered minor injuries.

The car crashed in Vermont in the early hours of Saturday, December 9, 2017.

The court heard Jones ignored his “frightened” passengers screams for him to slow down as he sped along Boronia Rd just after midnight, before the car rolled at the intersection of Canterbury and Boronia roads.

The court heard Jones had a blood alcohol reading of 0.161 and had cannabis in his system at the time, the court heard as he was sentenced on June 20.

Judge David Sexton ordered the 22-year-old serve at least two years and six months in prison before being eligible for parole and ordered he abide by an Alcohol Exclusion Order once released.

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Judge Sexton said the sentence was lower than usual parole periods because of Jones’ youth and positive rehabilitative prospects.

He said Jones had pleaded guilty to three charges of negligently causing serious injury, one charge of reckless conduct endangering life and driving while suspended at the earliest opportunity, and he was satisfied the offender was genuinely remorseful.

The court heard Jones had not sought treatment to heal some of his scars from the incident to serve as a reminder of his wrongdoing and suffered from PTSD.

The seats of the four-wheel drive were left blood stained after the crash.

Judge Sexton said the sentence was designed to balance the seriousness of his offending with Jones’ rehabilitation prospects.

“You are incredibly fortunate to have survived the collision,” he said.

“Your offending has had significant and serious health consequences for all of the passengers who were in your vehicle.”

Judge Sexton said the “catastrophic driving behaviour” had left one of the victims unable to stand for extended periods and another unable to drive.

The court heard Jones had previously had his probationary licence suspended for speeding and unlicensed driving.

The maximum penalty for each charge of negligently causing serious injury for reckless conduct endangering life is 10 years’ imprisonment.