Gosford: Chanel Reen pleads guilty to aggravated dangerous driving occasioning grievous bodily harm
A woman has pleaded guilty to a crash in which she consumed four Vodka Cruisers, hopped into a car and slammed into an elderly driver, leaving him with a traumatic brain injury.
A woman has pleaded guilty to a crash in which she consumed four Vodka Cruisers, hopped into a car and slammed into an elderly driver, leaving him with a traumatic brain injury.
Chanel Evalotte Reen, 41, of West Gosford pleaded guilty in Gosford Local Court to aggravated dangerous driving occasioning - grievous bodily harm - and was placed in custody after police applied for Reen’s immediate detention.
Police facts state on September 13 last year, Reen was at her home and had consumed a number of alcoholic drinks.
Just after 10.15pm, Reen was driving in East Gosford and was observed braking in a “harsh manner” before nearly colliding with a car waiting at the traffic lights outside a McDonald’s eatery.
Reen was observed to have “glazed eyes”, a “slouched posture” and appeared “wobbly”, court documents state.
Reen exited the McDonald’s car park and travelled east on the Central Coast Highway at West Gosford.
As she was driving Reen turned the steering wheel from side to side in a severe manner causing the vehicle to veer off the road.
Reen continued to drive in the left hand lane before stopping at the Racecourse Rd intersection and when the lights turned green she accelerated.
Reen drove past the Metro petrol station in West Gosford when the victim was slowing down to enable him to pull into the petrol station.
At the time, there were a number of stationary vehicles in the far left hand lane waiting to turn left into the driveway of the fuel station.
Reen collided with the rear back left of the victim’s vehicle and the impact propelled his car forward into the back of the stationary Nissan Navara.
The impact caused both cars to be propelled forward.
As a result of the initial impact, the victim and the Reen became trapped in their vehicles.
Reen was observed to say “I’m going to jail. I’m going to jail”, court documents state.
Police arrived at about 10.32pm and checked on Reen who was conscious, breathing and suffering from shortness of breath and chest pains.
Meanwhile the victim was slumped over the steering wheel and had a “decreased level of consciousness, wounds to the forehead and his left pupil was blown”.
The 77-year-old man was eventually extracted from his car safely and intubated and conveyed to John Hunter Hospital by helicopter.
Reen suffered multiple fractured ribs and was conveyed by ambulance to John Hunter Hospital and was released a week later.
A blood analysis revealed Reen had no less than 0.266 grams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood, placing her in the high range category.
Police interviewed Reen on September 24 last year and she told police she consumed alcohol on the day of the offending.
She then went on to say “I recall having four vodka cruises which were doubles,” court documents state.
When the victim arrived at John Hunter, he had a number of injuries, mainly a severe traumatic brain injury.
The victim was eventually brought out of an induced coma and was discharged from hospital in October.
Court documents state the victim continues to experience impairments in memory, attention, executive functioning due to which he requires assistance with the management of appointments, finances, and daily planning which are affecting his independence and quality of life.
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Originally published as Gosford: Chanel Reen pleads guilty to aggravated dangerous driving occasioning grievous bodily harm
