A bright, fun and caring little girl and an already much-loved unborn baby were spoken about by two sets of grieving parents at a court case for a driver in a fatal Shepparton East crash.
Chrystle Olivia Kemp, 27, of Shepparton, pleaded guilty in Shepparton County Court to dangerous driving causing the death of her niece, five-year-old Savannah Kemp, and dangerous driving causing serious injury to Elodie Aldridge which resulted in the loss of her unborn baby.
In a victim impact statement read to the court, Savannah’s mum Bryana Kemp spoke of her bright, precious little girl, who was her “little shadow”, and how it broke her heart that she would never hold Savannah’s hand or talk to her again.
“Savannah was caring, funny, sassy and clever,” she said.
Bryana Kemp spoke of having problems sleeping, with constant nightmares.
“Savannah used to tell me she wanted to get married in a white wedding dress. Instead, she was cremated in one,’’ she said.
“She had not yet gotten to experience her first day of school, or lose her first tooth.”
Bryana Kemp also spoke of the emotional toll Savannah’s death had taken on her whole family, including Savannah’s three brothers.
She also told how the crash had caused a rift with not only her sister Chrystle, but also other members of the family.
On October 20, 2023, Elodie and Andrew Aldridge were getting ready to welcome their new baby.
Mrs Aldridge was 34 weeks pregnant and returning home from an appointment with the maternal nurse where she was told her baby was healthy.
Then the unthinkable happened, she was involved in a crash where Chrystle Kemp drove through a stop sign and hit her and another vehicle almost simultaneously.
Mrs Aldridge was flown to hospital in Melbourne, where she gave birth to her stillborn son, Remi, in an emergency caesarean.
In court, she spoke of still not being able to see a pram or a child without her heart breaking.
“Everything’s a reminder of what’s happened and what I’ve lost,” she said.
“I know the accident wasn’t my fault, but I can’t help feeling guilt. Guilt of surviving when my son didn’t … and guilt at not protecting my son when I should have.”
Mr Aldridge told of going to the crash scene.
“Two things will stay with me forever – Elodie screaming and Savannah’s mum screaming,” he said.
As his wife was flown to Melbourne, Mr Aldridge made his own way by car.
“As I drove to the hospital I didn’t know if I was to be a husband without a wife, a dad without a child, or a man who had lost just about everything,” he said.
At the hospital Mr Aldridge was told his son had not made it, before having to deliver the news to his wife and his other child.
He told of holding his son in the hospital.
“It should have been a moment of joy and happiness, but he was cold,’’ he said.
“No parent should have to bury their son.”
The court heard Chrystle Kemp had collected her niece, Savannah, from kindergarten on October 20, 2022, and was on her way out to Dookie to take some photos.
The decision to collect Savannah had been last minute.
Young Savannah was not in a booster seat in the car as the seat was in another family member’s car – instead she only had a lap sash seatbelt around her waist.
The court was told Chrystle Kemp, who was driving a Toyota Landcruiser on Old Dookie Rd, drove through the stop-signed intersection with Boundary Rd and collided with two other vehicles which were both coming in different directions on Boundary Rd.
One of the vehicles was being driven by Mrs Aldridge.
Savannah died in the crash, and Mrs Aldridge was flown to a Melbourne hospital where her baby was delivered stillborn.
She also suffered a broken pelvis and broken hip.
The court was told the intersection faced by Chrystle Kemp had intersection warning signs 180m before the intersection and then stop signs at the intersection.
Chrystle Kemp had still been doing 81km/h as she approached the intersection, before hitting the brakes 3.5 seconds before impact with the other vehicles at about 50km/h.
Under law, a person charged with dangerous driving causing death must be jailed unless rare and exceptional circumstances can be proven.
Chrystle Kemp's barrister Paul Smallwood told the court his client needed to undergo two separate surgeries in January and March for physical issues.
One related to problems with her bladder and incontinence issues and another to separate her bowel and uterus.
“These surgeries are being privately funded and I’m unsure if they can happen in custody,” Mr Smallwood said.
He spoke of Chrystle Kemp suffering from Crohn’s Disease for much of her life, as well as post-traumatic stress disorder and major depressive disorder as a result of the crash.
She is also dependent on crutches and unable to walk without them, Mr Smallwood said.
Mr Smallwood also spoke of his client’s offending being at the “lower end of the scale” of moral culpability, saying there were no aggravating factors to her driving such as speeding, drugs, alcohol or mobile phone use.
He also said she had no prior convictions and was genuinely remorseful.
Judge Geoffrey Chettle asked the defence to find out more information about whether Chrystle Kemp’s medical conditions could be dealt with if she was imprisoned.
The case will continue later in November.