Nathan Gorst at Heidelberg Magistrates’ Court for drug driving, smashing into another car
A man who crashed into another car then didn’t check on the other driver — who had been left injured — has gone before court over a series of driving offences. The magistrate had some strong words for him.
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A driver who crashed into the rear of another car and failed to stop is lucky he didn’t kill someone, a court has heard.
The court heard after the crash at 5.15pm on October 23, 2018, on the M80 Metropolitan Ring Road in Thomastown, Gorst stopped behind the other driver in the emergency lane, but then drove away before she had turned off her engine and got out of her car to speak to him.
She was left with “a significant headache and back soreness” and a damaged car, and was helped by a witness, according to Prosecutor Senior Constable Michael Kaye.
The court heard police found Nathan Gorst, 22, driving as an unlicensed P-plater on Edgars Rd, Lalor, on July 3, 2019, with a drug test revealing he also had methylamphetamine in his system at the time, the court heard.
The court also heard Gorst also failed to pay $700 he was ordered to pay to the court by June 15, 2019 after he was sentenced in Broadmeadows Magistrates’ Court for other driving offences.
He pleaded guilty to the charges before Heidelberg Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, February 27, with his lawyer, Ms Smith, saying he was “very remorseful” and “moving on to another part of his life”.
Magistrate Marita Altman said a message needed to be sent to other drivers.
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“Mr Gorst falls firmly within a demographic of young men doing stupid things in cars, driving thoughtlessly, behaving as if they have the right to be on road under their own terms,” she said.
“You’re very lucky that no one’s dead,”
But Ms Altman said she wanted to give him a chance, pointing to his young age and the support of his adopted parents, who wrote a letter to the court and were at the hearing.
She said she wanted to give him the opportunity to show he could avoid reoffending, persuading her from slapping him with a community corrections order.
Sentencing was deferred until July — 12 months from his last offence.
His licence was disqualified for 12 months.