Elijah Hawke, 21, from Wunghnu, pleaded guilty in Shepparton Magistrates’ Court to driving at a dangerous speed.
Hawke was driving a Ford Falcon north on Labuan Rd at Yarroweyah, when he was pulled over by police on Saturday, November 4, 2023.
Prosecutor Senior Constable Sarah Bird said Hawke was driving at 169km/h in a 100km/h speed zone.
When pulled over and asked why he was going so fast, Hawke said he was “running late” and it “clears my head when I’m driving”, Sen Constable Bird said.
Hawke’s solicitor Cally He said her client was returning from helping his mum collect her belongings from a house and was suffering from anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder from doing so.
He was also triggered by his uncle dying in the days before, and this was “out of character” for him, Ms He said.
Magistrate Simon Zebrowski said there was “no excuse” for Hawke’s actions, and he was “extraordinarily lucky” that he hadn’t killed anyone and wasn’t facing prison time.
“The consequences of doing that sort of speed could be catastrophic,” Mr Zebrowski said.
“If you get triggered on previous incidents, maybe you should not drive.”
Labuan Rd has been notorious for fatal crashes over the years.
Hawke was fined $1000 with no conviction, and had his licence disqualified for 12 months.
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