Mishel Georgievski: Hairdresser ploughs into parked vehicles while almost five times legal limit

A Gold Coast hair salon owner’s car was found on its roof and other vehicles damaged. Find out how it happened.

An owner of a Gold Coast hair salon was close to five times over the alcohol limit when she ploughed her car into several parked vehicles, just metres away from young children.

Police were called to the crash on Morala Ave at Runaway Bay just before 8am on September 5, where they found Mishel Georgievski’s Jeep Cherokee on its roof.

Southport Magistrates Court was told on Tuesday that her vehicle was seen driving at speed with the radio blaring in the moments before the collision.

Police prosecutor Andrew Smith said the 51-year-old struck the first vehicle with such force that it pushed the parked car into another and flipped Georgievski’s car on its roof.

“(Georgievski) appeared intoxicated – police could smell alcohol emanating from (her) and she appeared sluggish,” Sen Const Smith said.

Mishel Georgievski (right) leaving Southport courthouse. Picture: Jessica Paul

“While at the scene, police observed multiple families with small children in that area – (it’s) about 800m south Biggera Waters State School.”

Georgievski was taken to Gold Coast University Hospital. Later testing revealed she had a blood alcohol concentration of 0.244.

The court was told Georgievski’s $45,000 Jeep had been written off on top of the $20,000 in damages caused to the other two vehicles.

Defence lawyer India Brady, of Bamberry Law, said her client was diagnosed with alcohol use disorder and had started rehabilitation in the weeks leading up to the crash.

She said Georgievski’s alcohol abuse spiralled during Covid, as she struggled with keeping her business running and supporting 15 employees through lockdowns and restrictions.

“She started (hairdressing) when she was 14 years old, so it’s all she’s ever known,” Ms Brady said.

“She was at home, she wasn’t sleeping, she was stressed. Her personality changed and she unfortunately turned to alcohol as a way of coping with that stress.

“Fortunately for her, there was no-one in the parked cars at the time and there hasn’t been any injuries to people, although she realises that could well have been a consequence of her actions.”

Ms Brady said Georgievski, who was supported in court by her husband of 24 years, had spoken with her medical team about the offending and was being allowed to continue treatment as an outpatient.

Georgievski pleaded guilty to one count each of driving under the influence of liquor and dangerous operation of a vehicle.

She was placed on probation for 18 months and disqualified from driving for 18 months.

No conviction was recorded.

Originally published as Mishel Georgievski: Hairdresser ploughs into parked vehicles while almost five times legal limit