Drunk driver Robert George Elliott crashes on Tungamull Road

A drinking session at a Capricorn Coast pub came close to turning fatal for a 67-year-old man when he crashed on the drive home while 0.206 drunk. Read how paramedics on scene helped save his life.

Robert George Elliott, 67, leaves Yeppoon Courthouse on January 13, 2022, with a support worker.

A Capricorn Coast pensioner is lucky to be alive after he got drunk at the Keppel Sands pub and foolishly tried to drive home via Emu Park.

Robert George Elliott, 67, regularly visited the watering hole to get scraps for the animals on his farm, but on October 9 last year, he didn’t make it home.

About 6.14pm that day, police were called to Tungamull Road where Elliott had crashed his white 2008 model Mitsubishi Triton.

When police arrived on scene, they saw the vehicle on its side with the tray pressed against a large tree.

Officers also observed Elliot, the driver, “hanging out the rear window of the vehicle” with a serious head injury and Queensland Ambulance Service paramedics working on him.

Elliott was taken to Rockhampton Hospital in a critical condition and later placed into an induced coma.

Police required a blood specimen to be taken from Elliott and a blood alcohol concentration of 0.206 was later recorded.

On December 6, police were able to speak with Elliott at the hospital.

Robert George Elliott, 67, leaves Yeppoon Courthouse on January 13, 2022, with a support worker.

Elliott told them he did not recall much about the incident and he did not remember the crash.

In Yeppoon Magistrates Court on January 13, 2022, Elliott pleaded guilty to high-range drink-driving.

He was represented by a solicitor and there was also a support worker in court with him.

The solicitor said Elliott lived on a farm and cared for a number of animals.

She said in the crash, Elliott suffered injuries to his head, knee, hand, shoulder and back.

“And they weren’t sure that he was going to live,” the solicitor said.

“He was in hospital for about eight weeks following the accident.

“All he can recall is that he went to the pub at Keppel Sands where he usually goes to collect scraps for his animals.

“Obviously, Your Honour, he had a lot to drink there as the reading is particularly high.

“He has no memory after that.”

The solicitor added that Elliott was very remorseful for what had happened and he was “very mad at himself” for what he had done.

The court heard that Elliott had similar offences of this kind on his history but they were “very dated”.

Before handing down penalty, Acting Magistrate Ron Muirhead asked Elliott’s support worker, seated in the back of the court, if she believed that Elliott understood what was going on with the court proceedings.

She replied: “Yeah, he does. The accident took this part of his head off and he was in intensive care for three weeks. He doesn’t remember anything from the day before (the crash), the day after, or nothing.”

Mr Muirhead told Elliott he was lucky to be alive before fining him $1400 and disqualifying him from driving for 14 months.

Originally published as Drunk driver Robert George Elliott crashes on Tungamull Road