Daniel Blight fronts court over horrific driving causing serious injury

A hoon with a shocking driving history who got behind the wheel of his Porsche while high on coke slammed into a woman after running a red light leaving her with horror injuries.

Gold Coast tiler Daniel Blight has been jailed or running a red light at Fitzroy and slamming into cyclist Saba Harrington who suffered critical injuries.

A coked-up hoon in a Porsche who left a female cyclist with horror injuries after he slammed into her after running a red light has been jailed.

Gold Coast man Daniel Blight, 40, fronted the County Court on Friday where he was jailed for nine months after earlier pleading guilty to one charge of dangerous driving causing serious injury.

Blight, whose licence was suspended in Queensland due to an accumulation of demerit points, hit Saba Harrington, a sonographer at Epworth Medical Imaging in Melbourne, at the intersection of Georges Rd and Park St, Fitzroy about 4pm on September 27, 2023.

Witnesses heard loud braking, followed by a scream and a thud and saw Ms Harrington flying through the air.

A witness rushed to Ms Harrington’s assistance and saw a large swelling above her left eye, blood pouring out of her nose and mouth and she didn’t respond verbally or physically.

Ms Harrington was taken to the Royal Melbourne Hospital with fractures to her left femur thigh bone, left fibula calf bone and a traumatic brain injury. She spent 40 days in hospital before undergoing rehabilitation.

Melbourne mother-of-one Saba Harrington suffered critical injuries when a Porsche, driven by Daniel Blight, struck her at Fitzroy.

Judge Claire Quin said anyone who drove in a dangerous manner that risked public safety must receive a stern punishment.

“This could not be described as a case of momentary inattention. The obligation to maintain control is an obligation which each driver owes to each other road user and to those in the vicinity of the road,” she said.

Tests revealed Blight had cocaine in his system at the time of the crash, at the intersection of St Georges Rd and Park St.

Judge Todd said the incident happened on a main suburban road about 4pm on a Wednesday when the risk to other road users was “very high”.

“The impact on her has been extremely serious and devastating. The effects remain with extensive rehabilitation and difficulties with daily tasks,” she said.

Judge Todd described Blight’s speeding history as “appalling”. In 2023, she said Blight drove at more than 20km/h on five occasions, four times in 2022 and twice each in the preceding two years.

She took into account the fact Blight was caring for his son, his guilty plea and completion of a road trauma awareness course.