Keelan Hansen O’Brien sentenced for dangerous driving at Proserpine Magistrates Court

A go-karting enthusiast has faced court after he mistook racing on a secured track with driving on a normal road, sending his car fishtailing and spinning a second car off the road.

Keelan Hansen O’Brien faced Proserpine Magistrates Court on March 11, 2024.

A Whitsundays go-karting enthusiast has faced a court after he mistook racing on a secured track with driving on a normal road, causing a dangerous crash.

Keelan Hansen O’Brien, 19, was told he was lucky he did not die on January 22, after being involved in a crash with another vehicle.

Police prosecutor Lachlan Perry told the court O’Brien had dangerously negotiated a turn at the corner of Paluma Rd and Mangrove Rd without having good vision of the other side.

It resulted in a crash with another vehicle that was arriving on the opposite side.

The court heard that by negotiating the turn too fast, O’Brien did a fishtail across the road, forcing the other vehicle to change trajectories to avoid him, which sent them both spinning off the road.

Mr Perry said airbags had been deployed and both drivers had sustained lacerations.

A witness at the scene had confirmed to police O’Brien’s car had negotiated the turn too fast while the passenger next to O’Brien had told officers he had warned him ahead.

“Slow down Keelan, you’re going too fast,” he had told him.

Mr Perry told the court O’Brien had told officers in a statement that his foot “slipped off the brake due to wearing thongs”.

PD Law solicitor Peta Vernon told the court O’Brien was used to heightened emotions driving as he had been practising go karting since he was a boy.

“There is a difference between crashing in a controlled environment to the road everyone uses,” she conceded.

Ms Vernon asked the court to consider granting him minimal time in probation to account for his youth, the fact that there weren’t serious consequences to the incident and that he had a limited traffic history.

Magistrate Michelle Howard told O’Brien he was lucky death had not been the outcome of the day.

“It was indeed very lucky you didn’t get more than lacerations,” she said.

O’Brien pleaded guilty to dangerously driving and to not have green P plates fixed on his vehicle.

She sentenced him to a period of probation for 18 months and disqualified his licence for seven months.

Convictions were recorded.

Editor’s note: This story has been amended to note O’Brien was wearing thongs when his foot slipped off the brake.

Originally published as Keelan Hansen O’Brien sentenced for dangerous driving at Proserpine Magistrates Court