Declan Vern Peter McMurray in Gold Coast court over fatal crash which killed Sunshine Coast teen Nathan Weckert

A Gold Coast man who drove a car that allegedly hit and killed a teenager has learned his fate.

A Gold Coast man who drove a car that allegedly hit and killed a Sunshine Coast teenager has walked from court with a restricted licence.

Declan Vern Peter McMurray is alleged to have been the driver of the car that hit and killed Sunshine Coast teenager Nathan Weckert on August 30 last year as he waited for help in an emergency stopping lane.

Weckert was 17.

Declan Vern Peter McMurray outside Southport Courthouse on March 30,2022

McMurray was originally charged with driving while a drug was present in his saliva and keeping to the left of a multi-lane road.

The keeping to the left charge was dropped in Southport Magistrate Court on Wednesday. 

The court was told the 22-year-old Gold Coast resident was driving on the Bruce Highway on August 30 last year and was involved in an accident at 8.10pm

At 10pm that night McMurray conducted a blood test that recorded a reading of 0.01ml of MDMA in his saliva. 

McMurray told police he had MDMA at a friend’s place several days before the incident. 

Magistrate Mark Howden fined McMurray $350 and suspended him from driving for two months. 

He will be able to drive for matters relating to his part time job as a facility manager from 10am to 10pm three days a week. 

Parents and friends of Weckert were once again seated in the back the courtroom, wearing T-shirts with his name and face on them.

Outside court, Weckert’s mother Shannon Dodson said she would had like to see more serious charges laid. 

“Closure is not a thing. It’s not a full stop, it’s a comma for now,” she said.

“I don’t know how today’s society is going to learn drugs are illegal, no matter the amount.

“How is someone who is going to put MDMA in their mouth meant to understand the consequence?”

Drug driving accused faces family after fatal emergency lane crash

March 16: The parents and friends of a teenager who died on the Bruce Highway sat in the back of a Gold Coast court on Wednesday, wearing T-shirts with his name and face on them.

Declan Vern Peter McMurray is alleged to have been the driver of the car that hit and killed Sunshine Coast teenager Nathan Weckert on August 30 last year as he waited for help in an emergency stopping lane.

Nathan Weckert was tragically killed in a roadside crash. He was part of Brisbane Olympics under-23s squad. Picture: Olympic FC Facebook

He was 17.

McMurray appeared in Southport Magistrate Court on charges of driving while a drug was present in his saliva and keeping to the left of a multi-lane road.

The 22-year-old Gold Coast resident had his case adjourned to March 30.

Nathan Weckert and his mum Shannon Dodson. Picture: Contributed

Mr Weckert’s parents, Shannon Dodson and Jason Weckert, were among 10 people who watched from the back of the courtroom.

Many of them were wearing T-shirts with Nathan’s name and face on it, along with his soccer number 30.

Nathan Weckert’s mum Shannon Dodson outside Southport Courthouse. Picture: Kyle Wisniewski

Nathan was an inspiring soccer player who played for Brisbane Olympics' under-23s squad, Noosa and representative football for the Sunshine Coast.

More than 1500 people attended his funeral at Sunshine Coast Stadium last September to farewell the vibrant, energetic boy who lived life to the fullest.

Originally published as Declan Vern Peter McMurray in Gold Coast court over fatal crash which killed Sunshine Coast teen Nathan Weckert