Court orders driver to pay compensation to teens

After hitting two Roma teens in a car accident outside their school, a driver has been handed a hefty punishment.

CHARGED: The driver who injured two students on McDowall St faced court this week. Picture: Jorja McDonnell

A MOTORIST who struck and injured two youths on a pedestrian crossing outside a Roma school has appeared in the magistrates court, charged with dangerous operation of a motor vehicle.

After appearing in court on Tuesday, March 5, Gavin Johannesen was handed a three month sentence, which was immediately suspended.

His driver's licence was disqualified for 12 months.

Additionally, he was ordered to pay $1000 in compensation to each of the teenage victims: a 13-year-old male and 15-year-old female.

Police told The Western Star that Johannesen, 55, was suffering from declining vision in one eye and had lost sight out of the other.

Consequently, he did not see the children until the windscreen of his vehicle had been smashed.

"This was an unfortunate case whereby a driver decided to place the convenience of being able to drive above the safety of the public, with catastrophic consequences,” said Sergeant Sebastian Pollock of the Roma Road Policing Command.

"As can be seen from the penalty, poor decisions that place others at risk will be always be met with harsh consequences”

"Any incident involving a collision between children and motor vehicles is a nightmare for everyone involved, so it was just beyond belief that this incident didn't finish with a more disastrous outcome.”

Johannesen was driving on McDowall St at 4.15pm on October 30 when his vehicle struck the teenagers as they were crossing the road outside St John's school.

At the time, paramedics treated both patients at the scene, where the girl was thrown several metres from the road and briefly rendered unconscious.

She was left with severe bruising, while the boy suffered a broken shoulder, lacerations, and abrasions.

The scene of the incident between a car and pedestrians on McDowall St, Roma. October 30, 2018. Picture: Contributed

Originally published as Court orders driver to pay compensation to teens