Drunk driver runs from Central Queensland crash scene

The reason a young apprentice tradie had for fleeing the scene of a Central Queensland crash has been revealed in court.

A driver who ran from a Central Queensland crash scene was intoxicated at the time. Generic image.

A teen driver, who crashed his mate’s car at the Capricorn Coast, was not only drunk, but also behind the wheel on an expired licence, a court has heard.

Riley John Poli, 19, pleaded guilty in Yeppoon Magistrates Court on August 17 to drink driving and unlicensed driving.

The court heard Poli was driving a Honda on Tanby Rd at Hidden Valley on the night of July 23, when he was involved in a single vehicle crash.

It was told witnesses saw two young men run from the scene before police arrived.

But Poli returned and told officers he had been driving when the car crashed.

Queensland Police Service. Generic image.

He subsequently returned a blood alcohol reading of .120 and police checks revealed his driver’s licence was expired.

The court heard Poli had no traffic history.

Solicitor Krissy Cummins said Poli was an apprentice roofer/plumber who had been drinking with mates on the day of the incident.

Ms Cummins said the car belonged to a friend of Poli’s and the crash had “scared him.”

Before handing down penalty, Magistrate Philippa Beckinsale said what Poli did was “just stupidity.”

She fined him $800 and disqualified him from driving for three months.

Originally published as Drunk driver runs from Central Queensland crash scene