Family and partner of young artist Erica Hoy confront driver Carlie Richards after fatal Port River Expressway crash
The family and partner of a young artist killed in a horror crash have detailed their heartbreak in court, saying they’ve been handed a life sentence of grief.
The family and partner of a young artist killed in a horror Port River Expressway crash have confronted a mentally incompetent driver saying her life was stolen.
Erica Hoy, 26, was killed in the crash on November 1, 2022, while her boyfriend, twin sister and another driver were also injured in the multi-car collision.
In the District Court on Tuesday, Erica’s father, Gregory Hoy paid tribute to his “smart, kind (and) full of life” daughter, saying losing her was the most devastating thing their family had ever been through.
“What haunts me is knowing that choices were made that night and weeks before that led directly to my daughter’s death,” he said.
Mr Hoy said he watched the footage of driver Carlie Richards’ arrest and searched it for some sign of remorse but it “only made things worse”.
“Watching Carlie Richards flee the scene, resist arrest, threaten police officers and show no apparent concern when told someone had died … having to witness that behaviour while grieving my daughter has added another layer of grief I wasn’t prepared for,” he said.
“We’ve been essentially been handed a life sentence of grief and loss, with no chance of parole.”
Erica’s mother, Misa Kunimatsu said her heart broke the moment she was told her daughter has passed away, and it has never been whole again.
“I still hope sometimes that this has all been a mistake, a bad dream but I know I will never see her again,” she said.
“Erica had plans, plans to go to America for acting, notebooks filled with goals … she wanted to be a mother, have a family. All of that was stolen from her.
“Our family is broken.”
Klio Bruckner, the driver of the other car involved in the crash, said justice feels hollow because of Richards’ not guilty verdict.
“The guilt of surviving when others didn’t is crushing, it never leaves,” she said.
Erica’s boyfriend, Michael Reader, who suffered a traumatic brain injury in the crash, told the court he was preparing to propose to Erica before he lost her.
“She was the love of my life and my closest companion,” he said.
“Losing her so suddenly and violently has caused irreparable emotional trauma that I live with everyday.
“This accident has not only taken Erica from me, it has altered every facet of my life.”
Rob Walker, for the prosecution, previously told the court Richards, who had a small quantity of meth in her system, was driving a motor vehicle on the Port River Expressway on November 1, 2022.
The court heard for 13 seconds leading up to the collision Richards drove at an average speed of 157km/h.
Dashcam footage shows Richards overtaking a vehicle at speed, before rear-ending a Toyota Prius, which “catapulted” into an oncoming lane of traffic, hitting a Kia Cerato and then a truck immediately after.
Lisa Hoy was driving the Prius, with Erica in the front passenger seat and Mr Reader in the rear seat.
“Erica Hoy … died as a result of the intrusion of the truck on the oncoming lane,” Mr Walker said.
Lisa suffered several injuries, including damage to her pelvis and kidney and a broken nose.
Mr Reader suffered broken ribs and injuries to his lungs, liver, kidney and pelvis, while Ms Bruckner also suffered harm.
In June, Judge Carmen Matteo found Carlie Eileen Richards, 40, was mentally incompetent to commit the offence.
She said she found on the balance of probabilities that at the time of driving at high speed prior to the collision, Richards was suffering from a mental impairment, namely an acute relapse of schizo-affective disorder.
Richards pleaded not guilty to causing death and harm by dangerous driving, after admitting the objective elements but claiming she was suffering from delusions at the time.
She pleaded guilty to leaving the accident scene after causing death and harm by careless driving.
The court heard Richards was suffering from delusions at the time of the alleged offending, including believing that a “small security vehicle was following her”, which is why she drove erratically.
On Tuesday, sentencing submissions were adjourned until next month to wait for further reports.
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Originally published as Family and partner of young artist Erica Hoy confront driver Carlie Richards after fatal Port River Expressway crash
