Stephen McShane pleads guilty to drink driving crash at Yandina Caravan Park

A bystander had to step in after a drunk Sunshine Coast man crashed into another car and tried to flee.

Stephen John McShane leaving Maroochydore Magistrates Court on Monday. Picture: Sam Turner

A Yandina man has been taken off the road for a year after crashing his car in a local caravan park before trying to drive off.

Maroochydore Magistrates Court heard on Monday how a bystander had to pull the keys out of Stephen John McShane’s car after he crashed into another vehicle at the Yandina Caravan Park on December 4 last year.

Police prosecutor Bec Lambert said a witness called 000 after watching the 61-year-old crash into a parked car about 8.50pm.

Sergeant Lambert said McShane tried to drive out of the caravan park however the witness was able to pull the keys from the ignition.

Officers went to the caravan park and spoke to the 61-year-old where he made admissions and smelt of alcohol.

The court heard police were required to hold him up so he didn’t fall over. McShane later returned a blood alcohol reading of 0.182 per cent.

McShane after his sentence. Picture: Sam Turner

Duty lawyer Rachel Holland said the military pensioner accepted the offending and could pay a fine.

McShane told magistrate Maxine Baldwin he was going to start rehab for alcohol soon.

Ms Baldwin tragically recalled the case of four children killed by a drink driver in Sydney in 2020, who were simply on their way to get ice cream when they were struck and killed.

“Anybody who saw those faces of those little kids must think ‘I’ll never do anything on the road that would cause me do that’, because you live with it forever,” she told McShane.

The Yandina man pleaded guilty to driving under the influence of liquor and was fined $900.

He was also taken off the road for 12 months, with a conviction recorded.

Originally published as Stephen McShane pleads guilty to drink driving crash at Yandina Caravan Park