Killer driver Jake Tate in court after Bacchus Marsh death of doting family man

The mental health of the young motorist who caused a tragic multi-vehicle collision in Bacchus Marsh that led to the death of a doting family man has deteriorated since the incident.

Jake Tate caused this horror crash near Bacchus Marsh that killed a doting family man. Picture: Nine.

An erratic driver who caused a four-vehicle crash that resulted in the death of a doting family man has escaped a prison sentence due to his mental health.

Jake Tate, 20, was driving from Diggers Rest towards Bacchus Marsh on Diggers Rest-Coimadai Rd in his yellow 2005 Ford Falcon Ute when the collision took place just before 4pm on July 8, 2022.

He earlier pleaded guilty to one charge of dangerous driving causing death and was sentenced by the County Court on Friday to a Community Corrections Order for three years.

His lawyer submitted that a CCO was the appropriate outcome on the basis that Tate had impaired mental functioning that would get worse with a prison sentence.

Tate has also been diagnosed with PTSD and general anxiety disorder. Judge Stewart Bayles said Tate would require comprehensive specialist treatment and intervention for his PTSD symptoms.

The prosecution summary of facts stated Tate was on his way home after finishing work as a weighbridge operator in Oaklands Junction when his ute collided with the front driver’s side of a tip truck.

His ute then continued on and slammed into a Mercedes bus which was being driven behind the truck. The tipper truck then veered into the northbound lane and struck the driver’s side of an Isuzu utility, causing it to roll and come to a rest on its passenger side.

Jake Tate was observed by other motorists varying within his lane a fair bit and going over to the centre line and moving back fairly regularly prior to the collision.

The truck then collided with a Holden Commodore wagon driven by a 59-year-old man who died at the scene.

The truck driver managed to extricate himself and suffered various injuries, including a fractured spine and ribs. The bus driver had a cut on his arm while the driver of the Isuzu required help from passers-by to cut his seatbelt and free himself. A driver not involved in the crash approached Tate and said he seemed to be in shock and kept saying, ‘What have I done? Have I killed anyone?

Tate’s driving was later described by a number of other drivers who saw the crash and in the period leading up to it as “varying within his lane a fair bit and going over to the centre line and moving back fairly regularly”.

In court, Tate’s lawyer relied on the report of psychologist Dr Matthew Barth who noted the young man’s history of self-esteem issues, along with anxiety and depression that were diagnosed when he was 16.

Psychologist Dr Matthew Barth said Jake Tate’s mental health had suffered since the tragic collision that claimed the life of a doting family man.

He observed Tate suffered from a range of acute trauma-related symptoms after the crash, including intrusive re-experiencing of the collision, frequent nightmares, intense fear when travelling in a car, social withdrawal, and suicidal ideation.

Judge Bayles said Tate’s parents had been “very concerned” about the deterioration in his mental health and have driven him to all work and other appointments since the collision. His family supervises him very closely due to concerns about self- harming, the judge said.

Dr Barth recommended a treatment known as Eye Movement De-sensitisation and Re-processing and also cognitive behavioural therapy and supportive counselling.

“The intensity of his PTSD symptoms, young age and limited coping skills all suggest he’ll likely be a vulnerable prisoner,” Dr Barth said in his report.

He said Tate was unlikely to have access to specialist trauma-related treatments he required if was sent to jail.