Jake McGee pleads guilty to driving under the influence of weed and meth before crashing into tree, injuring passengers in St Kilda

A young man has admitted he was drunk, stoned and high when he crashed his SUV into a tree, leaving four passengers in hospital – with one critically injured.

A young driver has told a court he was drunk, stoned and high on meth when his car slammed into a tree, injuring his four passengers.

Jake McGee, 19, appeared in the Adelaide Magistrates Court on Tuesday in front of Chief Magistrate Mary-Louise Hribal charged over the St Kilda crash that put one teenager in hospital in a critical condition on December 28 last year.

For that charge, he pleaded guilty to aggravated cause serious harm by dangerous driving – before pleading guilty to a further three counts of aggravated cause harm by dangerous driving and one count of driving while disqualified, which followed a previous drug driving disqualification.

Prosecutors told the court three of the charges – initially classified as causing “serious” harm – were to be downgraded by removing the term “serious”.

“You drove a motor vehicle in a culpably negligent manner, or recklessly, or at a speed or manner which was dangerous to any person,” Chief Magistrate Hribal said. “By that culpable negligence, recklessness or other conduct (you) caused serious harm.

“The circumstances of aggravation are that you committed the offence where there was present in your blood a concentration of 0.08g of alcohol. How do you plead?”.

“Guilty,” McGee replied.

“It’s further alleged that there was present in your blood THC and also MDMA. How do you plead?”.

“Guilty, Your Honour,” McGee said.

McGee leaves court earlier this year with a supporter. Picture: Leah Smith

On Tuesday, he pleaded guilty to the driving offences. Picture: Leah Smith

Documents released to The Advertiser alleged McGee, of Elizabeth Vale, was over the legal limit when he left the road and drove into a tree on St Kilda Rd.

He was found to have had blood-alcohol reading of at least 0.08 while he was behind the wheel of a Ford Explorer SUV on December 28 last year.

As a result of the crash, an 18-year-old Elizabeth Grove woman sitting in the front left passenger seat was taken to hospital in a critical condition.

A 20-year-old woman, 19-year-old man and 23-year-old man – also in the vehicle – were all hospitalised too.

On Tuesday, Chief Magistrate Hribal remanded McGee on continuing bail to be committed to the District Court in December.

He will then await sentencing.

Originally published as Jake McGee pleads guilty to driving under the influence of weed and meth before crashing into tree, injuring passengers in St Kilda