Ellyas Bouras sentenced for truck crash that killed Geelong grandmother Nada Stoyanovski

A distracted truck driver who caused the death of a Geelong grandmother has been jailed.

A Melbourne truck driver who ran a red light before crashing into a Geelong grandmother’s car and killing her has been jailed.

Ellyas Bouras, of Clyde from Melbourne’s outer southeast, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing death in the County Court late last month.

The 39-year-old said he was distracted when he ran through a red light at the intersection of Bacchus Marsh Rd and the Geelong Ring Rd on-ramp in Corio and struck Nada Stoyanovski’s car in January this year.

The 64-year-old grandmother was declared dead at the scene.

Judge Michael Tinney, who sentenced the offender on Thursday, said while Bouras had no criminal history he “slipped up terribly on this day with these dreadful consequences”.

“Nada Stoyanovski’s family have been devastated by their loss, but also the manner of her death. It was sudden and unexpected. It was so unnecessary and so completely avoidable,” Judge Tinney said.

Nada Stoyanovski with her four children

“If only you had been exercising some care, but you weren’t and Nada Stoyanovski’s life has been tragically cut short. She shouldn’t have died on this day and she’s dead because of your driving.”

Ms Stoyanovski’s grandchild was in the car at the time and was flown to hospital for minor injuries, but made a full physical recovery.

Another grandchild, along with Ms Stoyanovski’s oldest daughter, drove past the scene by chance and ran from the area “screaming for his Bubba, the reference to his grandmother”.

The collision at the Corio intersection. Picture: Alan Barber

In an impact statement read to the court last week, Ms Stoyanovski’s youngest child said she feels “like her life has come to a halt” and the “thought of having a family that her mother will never know is hard to accept”, Judge Tinney repeated in court on Thursday.

“The reading of the impact statements was a deeply upsetting experience for them, for their family members who looked on and who supported them, and also for you and your family, as you and your loved ones know that you are the person who has produced this horrible outcome,” Judge Tinney said.

Although Judge Tinney did acknowledge Bouras was traumatised by the death of the mother-of-four, he said it “could never compare to the impact felt by the Stoyanovski’s”.

“For one thing, you brought on that impact and they have lost their mother or their relative forever,” Judge Tinney said.

Bouras was sentenced to two years and 10 months’ imprisonment with an 18-month non-parole period.

His licence was also cancelled for two years.

Originally published as Ellyas Bouras sentenced for truck crash that killed Geelong grandmother Nada Stoyanovski