Victorian mum Amberly Jane Hendy spared jail for fatal crash that killed sister
A mum smoked four bongs before she lost control of her car during a hailstorm and killed two people, including her sister.
A Victorian mum who smoked four bongs hours before she lost control of a car in a hailstorm and killed two passengers, including her sister, said she begged for forgiveness every day.
Katunga woman Amberly Jane Hendy was 28 at the time when she lost control of the Holden sedan she was driving and veered into an oncoming car on the Goulburn Valley Highway in Wunghnu on September 6, 2019.
Two passengers – her 23-year-old sister Eloise Rigby and her sister’s 39-year-old partner Adam Boland – were killed in the crash.
Hendy’s young daughter was also seriously injured in the crash, spent months in hospital and continues to deal with ongoing health issues.
The now 31-year-old mum was spared jail and instead ordered to serve a three-year community corrections order in the County Court of Victoria on Thursday.
She earlier pleaded guilty to two counts of dangerous driving causing death and one of causing serious injury.
In a statement to the court, Hendy said she rethinks every decision she made that day.
“I regret the day of the accident beyond words, beyond measure. I’ve wished upon everything that I could go back to that day and change everything,” Hendy said.
The mum said she prayed her daughter would know how sorry she was for the fatal crash.
“I live every day with sorrow, I live every day begging for forgiveness, I live every day praying my daughter will know how sorry that her aunty and uncle are gone and how sorry I am for the injuries she received,” she said.
Hendy smoked four bongs on the morning of the crash but hadn’t expected to drive that day until Mr Boland asked her to.
After the crash, she told police that she just “really wanted to get home” after spending the night at Shepparton.
The car belonged to Mr Boland and had a bald tyre, and Hendy knew at the time she got behind the wheel that the car was unroadworthy, the court was told.
During the fatal trip, Hendy slowed when heavy rain started to fall but lost control and “overcorrected” when hail hit.
She veered into the opposite lane and crashed into another car, but the other driver was not seriously injured.
Mr Boland’s mother told the court the two sisters and her son were incredibly close and she said Ms Hendy would be feeling “punished every day” over the crash.
“I hope the trauma that Amberly would be going through each day is taken into account with sentencing,” Anita Boland told the court.
When she handed down her sentence, Judge Liz Gaynor said this was the only time Hendy had committed a crime and she suffered considerable extra punishment.
“This is the loss of a beloved sister and her partner, the grief and distress caused to your parents, the serious injury to the daughter you clearly love and their effects,” Judge Gaynor said.
She said Hendy’s daughter’s situation meant the exercise of mercy was warranted.
As part of the treatment order, Hendy must undertake mental health treatment and an assessment for drug use difficulties and complete 400 hours of community work.
Her licence was also cancelled for 18 months.