Seymour’s Stacey Cox sentenced for negligent driving causing injury

Inattentiveness was to blame when a Seymour mum hit a woman walking through the “chaotic” shopping centre carpark.

A woman suffered serious injuries after being struck by a car in a Seymour carpark.

A Seymour woman was “inattentive” when she hit a pedestrian, causing serious injuries, in a “chaotic” shopping centre carpark.

Stacey Cox, 41, pleaded guilty in Shepparton Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday to negligent driving causing serious injury.

On June 7, a 37-year-old woman was crossing a road in the shopping centre carpark near Kmart in Seymour.

About 10.20am, Cox was driving in the carpark, made a right turn without stopping at a stop line, and struck the woman as she was walking.

The woman was under the wheel as Cox realised she hit something, but did not know what, and accelerated forward to move off the woman, before quickly calling triple-0.

Cox told police at the time she did not see the victim, who suffered crush injuries to her pelvis and left leg.

The court heard she did not have alcohol and drugs in her system and was not speeding.

The victim was flown to Royal Melbourne Hospital before needing “intensive” rehabilitation at Epworth and is still in recovery.

Magistrate Olivia Trumble said it was not a “stock standard” charge of negligence, and that Cox could have made an argument for careless driving.

Stacey Cox pleaded guilty in Shepparton Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday to negligent driving causing serious injury.

The court heard, Cox however did not want to contest the charge and wanted everyone involved to be able to move on and heal.

Ms Trumble said it was difficult to sentence because it was a case of not taking the appropriate care by not stopping at the stop line and not seeing the victim, rather than risk taking behaviours.

“That carpark is chaotic and difficult to navigate which means you have to be extra careful and cautious,” she said.

“You have no criminal priors and no traffic priors so you are ordinarily a careful and cautious driver on the road.”

Ms Trumble said Cox’s character references made it clear she was “well respected” in her community.

The court heard due to a mandatory loss of licence Cox would have to quit her job, which Ms Trumble said was “unfortunate”.

She said she imposed a more lenient sentence than “normal” because it was an unusual case and Cox’s risk of reoffending was “essentially zero”.

Cox was sentenced to a two year good behaviour bond and will be required to pay a $2000 donation to the Amber Community which supports people involved in road trauma.

She also lost her licence for two years.