Jarryd Steven Aplin: Nerang man faces court after tragic M1 crash paralyses partner

This Nerang man and his partner’s lives have been permanently altered after a car crash involving unsecured engine blocks and an L-plater slowing in a merging lane. Read what happened here.

Jarryd Steven Aplin, 35, pleaded guilty to three charges after he and his partner were involved in a life-altering crash on the M1 at Arundel. Picture: Nine News.

The lawyer of a Nerang man in a crash that left his partner paralysed told the court the sentencing would be an “unjust result”.

Jarryd Steven Aplin, 35, pleaded guilty when he appeared in Southport Magistrates Court on Wednesday to three charges including driving without due care or attention without reasonable consideration of other users.

The court heard emergency services were called to a two-vehicle collision on the southbound merge lane on the M1 Pacific motorway at Arundel at 7.24pm on October 3, 2023.

A Ford Ranger, driven by an L-plater under the supervision of her father, had exited Smith Street and slowed down to merge with the traffic on the M1.

The court heard due to the built up traffic and a semi trailer in the left-hand lane, the driver was unable to merge and slowed to an almost stationary speed.

Crash data taken from the Ford indicated in the five seconds before the crash, the car slowed from 76 kilometres per hour to just three.

Travelling behind the Ford, was a 1999 Hyundai Excel driven by Aplin with his partner in the front passenger seat and two engine blocks in the rear.

The court heard after the Ford slowed the Hyundai braked, causing its tires to lock and slide 34 metres before it hit the Ford’s rear.

The engine blocks in the back continued to travel forward, pushing the front seats forward, trapping Aplin and his partner.

Both were taken to Gold Coast Hospital after emergency services spent 30 minutes cutting her out of the car, but due to the nature of her injuries, Aplin’s partner was transferred to Princess Alexandra Hospital spinal unit.

She was discharge in January 2024, paralysed from the waist down.

Aplin has since given up his employment and mechanic work to become her full-time carer.

The court heard Aplin has since given up his employment to become his partner’s full-time carer after the tragic crash. Picture: Facebook

The court also heard the Hyundai’s registration had automatically cancelled on April 10, 2023 and was bearing another car’s plates.

Aplin’s defence solicitor Adam Guest from Guest Lawyers said Aplin had borrowed it and the car wasn’t his.

Mr Guest told the court his client had been travelling 10 kilometres under the speed limit when braking and there was evidence Aplin braked immediately.

“The criminality here for this charge is the lowest it can be. It would be impossible, in my submission, for any court in the future to make a finding that Mr Aplin’s driving was 100 per cent contributory to the damage that occurred.”

He argued Aplin’s criminality would have to be the anticipation of someone braking to a near complete stop on the entryway to the highway and it was an unfortunate feature Aplin was carrying engine blocks not properly restrained.

The court heard there is an ongoing civil litigation about who was liable in the accident, with Aplin selling his ute to fund legal action.

Aplin also sold his scrap metal collection business in anticipation of losing his licence due to the mandatory period of disqualification.

“This is where we see where any mandatory period of disqualification, mandatory period of imprisonment create eventually an unjust result,” Mr Guest said. “This is going to be an unjust result … in respect to the period of disqualification that has to be imposed.”

The court heard there is ongoing litigation about who was liable in the accident. Picture: NewsWire / Richard Gosling

The court heard Aplin is being treated for PTSD from the accident.

Magistrate Veena Goverdhan said the engine blocks were unsecured but it was not unusual for someone to place something in a car boot and think nothing would come of it.

She noted he was trying to stop and was of the view she could not impose a high fine as he was already suffering.

Aplin was fined $2000 and disqualified from holding a licence for six months.

He was fined $709 for charges relating to the unregistered vehicle.

Originally published as Jarryd Steven Aplin: Nerang man faces court after tragic M1 crash paralyses partner