Franz William Suhrbier ‘showed callous disregard’ by driving off, leaving his victim on the ground

An appalling hit and run incident was captured on CCTV which showed the moment a man drove into a woman and her two-year-old granddaughter, knocking them to the ground.

Franz William Suhrbier leaves Toowoomba Courthouse after being sentenced for the hit and run of an elderly woman at Westridge Shopping Centre.

A Darling Heights man who reversed and sped off after driving into a woman and two-year-old girl in the Westridge Shopping Centre car park later blew a breath/alcohol reading of 0.287.

Franz William Suhrbier has shown “callous disregard” for the child and woman who were left injured on the ground as the 58-year-old sped away in his ute, Magistrate Howard Osborne found.

In CCTV footage shown to a closed Toowoomba Magistrates Court, the woman, 65, and her daughter were putting shopping into the boot of the car.

Suhrbier’s blue utility is seen at top of screen approaching at speed and then turn to park next to the victim’s car.

However, he miscalculated the manoeuvre and ploughed into the woman and her two-year-old granddaughter, who was sent flying, while her grandmother was squeezed between the two cars before dropping to the ground.

The woman’s daughter frantically picked up her daughter before waving her arms at Suhrbier who reversed his utility up onto curbing before speeding away out of the car park.

Police who had only five minutes earlier been called to the shopping centre on a report of a possible drink driver, arrived to find the woman being treated by ambulance officers.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Jacquelyn Miller said officers viewed the centre’s CCTV footage of the incident and obtained the ute’s registration number.

Police attended Suhrbier’s Dalzell Crescent home where he resisted arrest before being taken to the police station where he was breath tested at 0.287.

Franz William Suhrbier leaves Toowoomba Courthouse after being given immediate parole on a nine month jail sentence for the callous hit and run of an elderly woman.

Sgt Miller said the two women and the two-year-old suffered trauma from the incident and the woman was still receiving treatment for injuries.

Suhrbier pleaded guilty to failing to remain at the scene of an incident and render assistance, driving while under the influence, contravening a police direction and obstructing police.

His lawyer Shane Hough, of RedHill Legal, said his client was remorseful and had broken down crying when giving instructions.

Suhrbier had a long standing alcohol problem and had been seeing a psychiatrist for some years after being diagnosed with “complex PTSD” and severe depression, he said.

Suhrbier, who had since moved to Hervey Bay, offered his apologies to the victims, who were in court, and would pay the woman’s medical bills, he said.

Magistrate Osborne noted Suhrbier had a number of drink-driving offences.

“You did, in my opinion, show callous disregard (for the victims),” he said.

Mr Osborne sentenced Suhrbier to nine months in jail but ordered he be released on immediate parole, placed him on 18 months probation, ordered he pay $1338 compensation for the woman’s medical expenses and disqualified him from driving for two years.