Harrison Tate: Wallan carpenter almost kills teen on High St, Lalor

A young Wallan driver whose car was loaded with underage mates paid the ultimate price when he pushed it too hard.

Harrison Tate will be sentenced on August 18.

A young hoon chippy almost killed his 16-year-old friend when he dangerously sped through Lalor at night with a carload of underage passengers, a court has heard.

Harrison James Tate, 20, fronted the County Court on Monday, pleading guilty to charges including dangerous driving causing serious injury and conduct endangering persons.

The unruly P-plater lost control of his orange Ford Falcon on High St, Lalor, just after midnight on March 14 last year, slamming into a tree.

The court heard Tate was accelerating to overtake three vehicles he was travelling in convoy with when his car “bottomed out” on a bumpy section of road, and his car hit the gutter.

Tate overcorrected the out-of-control car and it crashed into the tree.

Tate and three of his passengers, his younger brother and two 15-year-olds, were not injured.

But his rear passenger, a 16-year-old boy, was left with life-threatening injuries..

The court heard Tate pulled the unresponsive victim from the car, placed him in the recovery position and cleared his airways before paramedics rushed him to the Royal Melbourne Hospital.

The teenager suffered brain bleeding and skull fractures, which left him on life support for weeks.

He was not released from hospital until September, and was left with ongoing cognitive damage that affected his speech and behaviour.

The court heard the boy was unable to open his left eye, would be unable to drive and likely unable to pursue his dream of being a carpenter.

A victim impact statement from the victim’s father was read to the court, with the court hearing the boy had not been unable to write it himself.

The court heard Tate was not on alcohol or drugs at the time of the crash, but had unsafely modified his car, which bore the number plates, “SICKBF”.

Investigators ruled the car had “bottomed out” due to its modified suspension, the weight of the five occupants, and because Tate was driving at an estimated 84km/h in the 60km/h zone at the time of the crash.

Tate was arrested at the scene and told police the car had “bounced like a trampoline” right before the crash.

Police seized his phone and found videos revealing Tate had previously committed numerous other driving offences, which he was charged with.

The videos, which were shown to the court, depicted Tate filming himself, the speedometer and the road as he sped down roads, including at 90km/h in a 60km/h zone.

In one video he captured himself speeding down an empty freeway at 100km/h behind an ambulance, in another he play-fought with a girl while driving and in others, someone else filmed as Tate performed burnouts.

Two videos showed Tate doing burnouts and revving his car’s wheels as someone held his car just above the spinning wheels.

The court heard Tate was a carpenter who had suffered a difficult childhood and lived with his girlfriend’s family in Wallan.

Tate’s lawyer said his client didn’t enjoy driving anymore, and only did so for work when he had to, and was suffering PTSD following the crash.

Judge Chambers said Tate’s moral culpability for the crime was not low, and said general deterrence was an overriding factor in her sentencing considerations.

The court heard the victim’s family were in favour of Tate being sentenced to time in custody.

Judge Chambers ordered that Tate be assessed for a Youth Justice Centre placement ahead of her delivering sentence on August 18.