A magistrate has described the behaviour of a man who crashed into a car at 199km/h while racing another as “madness”.
Stephen John Adams, 33, pleaded guilty at Shepparton Magistrates’ Court to reckless conduct endangering life, drink driving and failing to render assistance after an accident.
Prosecutor Senior Constable Luke Lund told the court Adams was travelling north on the Goulburn Valley Hwy, just north of Shepparton, about 7.30pm on November 30, 2021.
Adams struck a vehicle travelling at the 80km/h speed limit ahead of him, causing it to crash into a traffic sign and trees.
The airbag control module on Adams’ car showed he was travelling at 199km/hr at the point of impact.
Neither the victim nor Adams were injured in the crash.
The court heard Adams continued driving for a kilometre before his vehicle became undriveable and he was offered a lift by a driver heading south on the highway.
Snr Constable Lund said when the pair drove past the scene Adams said, “shit, I must have hit a car”.
The driver dropped Adams at home before reporting what had happened to police.
The court heard officers went to Adams’ address and took him to the police station where he blew 0.242 — nearly five times the legal blood alcohol limit.
He told police he had intended to return to the crash site but his partner had to get their two children ready to leave the house.
He said he started sculling drinks, downing 12 standards, but later admitted he had also been drinking before the accident.
Magistrate David Faram said the incident was “inexplicable”.
"You and everyone else on the roadway that day are lucky to be here,” he said.
Solicitor Luke Slater said Adams’ life had “spiralled out of control” after he lost his job during the pandemic and his family had moved to Shepparton in September 2021.
Mr Slater said Adams had spent more than $300,000 at the bookies in the midst of “a complete breakdown” prior to the crash.
He argued Adams had no prior criminal history, had complied with the immediate suspension of his driver’s licence and pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity.
He said his client had been seeking treatment for alcoholism.
Adams was placed on a two-year community corrections order with conditions to complete 120 hours of community work, treatment and rehabilitation for alcohol abuse and dependency, mental health if appropriate and other offending behaviour programs.
Mr Faram ruled that all hours Adams spends participating in programs can count as community work hours.
His licence was cancelled and he was disqualified from driving for two years, backdated to November 30, 2021.