January 11, 2013
A man who pulled his badly injured girlfriend from a burning vehicle after a single vehicle accident near Memerambi in October has been fined $800 – and disqualified for driving for 12 months – after he pleaded guilty in Kingaroy Magistrates Court yesterday to drink and drug driving charges.
Luke John Thorp, 30, was driving on a “P” licence and should have had a zero blood alcohol reading however hospital blood tests after the accident revealed he had a blood alcohol concentration of 0.034.
A low trace of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) from cannabis was also detected.
Police Prosecutor Sgt Wayne Bushell said there was no allegation the accident occurred because of the alcohol or drugs but said Thorp did not have a good traffic history.
Mr Mark Werner, for Thorp, said his client had consumed four cans of Jack Daniels and Cola after work. He had made the decision to drive home after he discovered his girlfriend had been drinking so she could not drive him.
He said the accident occurred after Thorp tried to avoid a half-metre wide pothole on the Memerambi Cemetery Road. His vehicle skidded on loose gravel; a wheel became locked in a deep rut beside the road, flipped into a tree and burst into flames.
Mr Werner said Thorp’s girlfriend was trapped underneath the dashboard.
“Thorp rescued her from the burning vehicle and experienced some burns which he has only just recovered from,” he said.
Police found Thorp sitting beside his unconscious girlfriend. She had severe injuries including a broken tailbone, hip, left leg and ankle.
