A driver who hit a teenage girl with his speeding Honda Civic during a late-night car meet in Burswood, nearly killing her, has been jailed.
Foreign student, Chun Lai Yuen, 25, admitted to striking Caitlyn Dickson, 17, as she gathered as part of a crowd of about 200 people on Camfield Drive who were admiring other people’s cars.
Mobile phone footage of the incident showed Dickson being flung metres into the air on impact and somersaulting twice before hitting the road.
Yuen reached speeds of more than 100km/h in a 50km/h zone before braking at the last moment, hitting Dickson at an estimated speed of 87km/h.
The girl suffered life-threatening injuries including a torn aorta, spleen and bladder and factures to her pelvis and elbow which required surgery to fit metal plates.
She continues to require rehabilitation and suffers from ongoing medical issues.
Her father, Paul Dickson, told the sentencing magistrate his daughter was an “exceptionally strong woman” and that the incident had had a profound impact on their family, both emotionally and financially.
Yuen, who has undertaken road safety courses and counselling for his “overwhelming guilt” since the incident, was tearful as he was sentenced in Perth Magistrates Court on Wednesday.
During an earlier court hearing, he claimed he was trying to leave the casino car park and head to dinner in the city when he got caught up in congested traffic caused by the car meet.
“He was trying to go one way, but there was a lot of traffic so had to go another way,” his lawyer said.
“He felt a sudden pain from a hernia he has … in response to the pain he panicked and accelerated.
“The victim entered the road facing away from Mr Yuen, he didn’t stop in time so he hit her at speed. That is accepted.”
Yuen also admitted to removing and hiding his car’s dashcam SD card before police arrived, but claimed it was out of fear and “threats made by onlookers”.
The magistrate accepted he was remorseful and sentenced him to 16 months jail for dangerous driving causing grievous bodily harm in circumstances of aggravation.
The Hong Kong-born electrical engineer, who was in Perth on a graduate visa, will be eligible for parole after serving eight months.
He also had his licence suspended for three years.
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