Fine for crash driver, bond for other driving offence

Bradley Neville Sharkey, of Conridge Street, Forbes was also sentenced to a section 10(1)(b) good behaviour bond for 12 months for a separate charge of drive vehicle with illicit drug present in blood by Local Court Magistrate Robert Rabbidge.

Sharkey was involved in a head-on collision in Forbes last December, on Monday the 7th.

Police facts to the court say he was driving a white Toyota Hilux south on Calarie Road about 2.15pm. 

He lost control of the vehicle and crossed a broken dividing line to the northbound lane, into the path of a silver Nissan Navara ute.

The vehicles collided head-on, both sustaining significant front end damage and needing to be towed from the scene.

The driver of the Nissan Navara sustained soreness to his neck and chest as a result of impact and was taken to hospital for treatment.

The accused was submitted to a roadside breath test which was negative. 

He was also taken to hospital for soreness to his neck and chest.

The following day police visited the accused who claimed that he was tired whilst driving.

He told police that his head was down while travelling along Calarie Road and that he is not sure if he was asleep when the incident occurred.

“My client maybe mentioned to police that he had been quite tired driving and doesn’t even know if he was awake at the time of the crash,” Sharkey’s solicitor Ms Mylchrest told the court. 

“He’s come a long way,” she said. 

“He hasn’t driven since then, he now walks everywhere.”

The drive vehicle with illicit drug charge related to an incident a few days earlier. 

Police stopped the accused’s Hilux for a random breath and drug test about 8.10pm on December 4, 2015. 

The breath test was negative, however the oral fluid test had a positive result for methamphetamines.

The accused was arrested and taken for a secondary test which was also positive.

Ms Mylchrest told the court her client had reported being clean of drugs since December.