Micah David Smith sentenced for Gladstone Ford Mustang crash

A Central Queensland man who wrote off his prized Ford Mustang after clocking a top speed of 166.9kmh while drunk, has been hit with a massive penalty.

A Ford Mustang flipped onto its roof at Gladstone on March 9.

A Central Queensland man who wrote off his prized Ford Mustang while drunk has copped a heavy series of penalties.

Micah David Smith, 41, pleaded guilty in Gladstone Magistrates Court on Wednesday to operating a vehicle dangerously in any place - excessively speeding, and unlawful possession of weapons.

The court heard that at 2.07pm on March 9, police were called to a single-vehicle crash on Gladstone’s Breslin Street where Smith was the driver.

When they arrived at the scene, they saw Smith’s white 2022 Ford Mustang on its roof and severely damaged.

Smith was out of the car and being treated by paramedics for minor injuries.

His male passenger also suffered minor injuries and was treated for a head laceration.

The court heard that firefighters at the scene told police that there were two rifles in the boot of the car.

The court was told that prior to the crash, Smith had accelerated and the car clipped a concrete centre island before mounting a kerb on the passenger side and clipping a tree.

The car then flipped onto its roof and slid about 40m before coming to a stop.

One of the wheels was found about 40m away.

The court heard Smith had returned a positive breath test (.200) and he previously pleaded guilty to a drink-driving charge stemming from this crash for which he was fined $1200 and disqualified from driving for 10 months.

It was told post-crash, the Mustang was taken to a holding yard at Calliope.

A Ford Mustang on its roof at Gladstone on March 9.

There, a forensic examination was conducted, and it showed that Smith’s car had been travelling at a maximum speed of 166.9kmh at 1.58pm on Lyons Street prior to the crash.

The examination also showed the Mustang was doing about 145.4km at the time of the crash.

Solicitor Stephen White said Smith, a father of four, was employed full-time as a tyre fitter, having previously worked as a truck driver.

The court heard that Smith had lost his truck driving job as a result of the licence disqualification he received for the drink-driving offence.

In relation to the crash, Mr White said Smith had written off the Mustang.

“My client is in debt for finance to the tune of $50,000 in relation to that vehicle,” Mr White said.

“And in relation to the accident, I’m instructed that he (Smith) was very foolishly showing off... no excuse.”

Mr White said Smith found both rifles in the premises where he lived and he had failed to hand them into authorities.

Prior to imposing penalty, Magistrate Mary Buchanan said Smith had been “driving like a maniac really” and he was lucky that no-one was seriously injured or killed in the crash.

She fined Smith, who had no criminal history, $5000 and disqualified him from driving for 12 months (to be served cumulatively on the prior disqualification).

A forfeiture order was made for the weapons and a conviction was recorded.

Originally published as Micah David Smith sentenced for Gladstone Ford Mustang crash