Man who struck pedestrian on way to hospital for daughter’s birth walks away with a fine

A man who blew through a zebra crossing on the way to hospital for the birth of his daughter and accidentally struck a woman in the process has walked from court with a fine.

A MAN who blew through a zebra crossing on the way to hospital for the birth of his daughter and accidentally struck a middle-aged woman in the process has walked from court with a fine.

Chevy Reid Cornwall, 30, pleaded guilty in the Darwin Local Court to driving without due care after the crash in Darwin’s north on May 17 this year.

Prosecutor Luke McLaughlin said Cornwall was driving along Tambling Tce at about 5.30pm when he failed to stop at the crossing and struck the 44-year-old woman as she crossed the street.

“As a result of the collision, the victim hit the windscreen of the defendant’s vehicle causing the windscreen to break,” he said.

“The victim was carried on the front of the defendant’s vehicle approximately 10m from the crossing before the defendant was able to stop the vehicle.

“The victim ended up lying on the road in front of the vehicle.”

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Mr McLaughlin said the woman suffered a cut to the back of her head that required six stitches as well as severe bruising to much of her body and had to spend three days in hospital as a result of the crash.

Mr McLaughlin said Cornwall told police he only saw the woman “at the last second” because the sun was in his eyes.

Representing himself, Cornwall told the court it was “a very unfortunate accident” and he was “very sorry” for the injuries the woman had suffered.

“I really didn’t mean for any of this to happen,” he said.

“It was the day of my second daughter’s birth, I was on the way to the hospital to bring my first daughter to see her.

“I’m very sorry, I didn’t see her until the last second. In shock, I didn’t even realise what happened, I just put on the brakes.”

In convicting and fining Cornwall $850, judge Michael Carey said it was lucky for all concerned the woman wasn’t more badly hurt.

“I think you’re probably very fortunate and so is she, that something worse didn’t happen to her, given the situation,” he said.

Cornwall will also have to pay a $150 victims levy but Mr Carey declined to suspend his licence.

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