By Goya Dmytryshchak
A Newport woman has been jailed for a head-on collision at Maidstone that left three people seriously injured.
The County Court sentenced Jolene Radalj, 35, to four years’ jail with a minimum of two and a half years after she pleaded guilty to negligently causing serious injury, careless driving and driving while disqualified.
The court head that in March last year, Radalj had picked up a friend in her car.
As they were travelling along Ballarat Road at Maidstone, Radalj crossed the centre line and collided head-on with a Mitsubishi driven by Kylie McGenniskin.
Radalj and her passenger were taken to hospital and placed into induced comas.
Ms McGenniskin sustained spinal fractures and had to move back to her parents’ home because she could not look after herself.
In a victim impact statement tended last month, Ms McGenniskin said that as a result of the collision her dream of becoming a park ranger had come to an “abrupt end”.
“I may not appear disabled to anyone here but this incident has left me physically and emotionally disabled,” she wrote.
“It is likely that I will suffer from chronic pain for the rest of my life. It is likely that I will struggle with chronic fatigue for the rest of my life. I will struggle with increased anxiety for the rest of my life.
“I can say without a hint of doubt that this incident has changed the course of my life. Not just for a short period of time, forever.”
Radalj’s passenger, who said he declined to make a victim impact statement as he was her friend, suffered a collapsed lung, brain bleeds and bruises, and fractures to the chest, spine and face. The court heard his current state of health was unknown.
The court heard Radalj had an extensive history of driving offences including speeding, running a red light, being a learner driver without a qualified driver, driving an unregistered vehicle, drug driving and driving while suspended and disqualified.
She sustained a broken leg, arm and jaw and internal bleeding causing acquired brain injury in the crash.
In his sentencing remarks Judge James Parrish said Radalj’s injuries constituted some punishment for her criminality but the nature of the offending must attract a sentence of imprisonment.
