Man fined $750 after causing skull fracture

Felicity Caldwell | 5th October 2009

AN IPSWICH learner driver has been fined after crashing into a motorised-bicycle rider.

The female rider's skull was fractured on impact, a court heard.

The 21-year-old male driver told police he saw the cyclist riding through the Ipswich intersection but pulled out, knocking her off the bike.

Ipswich Magistrates Court was told Sean Patrick O'Sullivan, who has never held more than a learner's permit, was driving without L plates displayed and without an open-licence supervising driver.

Prosecutor Sergeant John Nelson said O'Sullivan stopped at a give way sign in Leichhardt, to cross an intersection at 9.10am on July 29.

Sgt Nelson said O'Sullivan admitted to police six-and-a-half weeks after the crash that he looked right, saw the bicycle, looked left and then pulled out of the intersection.

The cyclist hit the rear mudguard of his Ford Falcon, flew off her bike and landed on the road. She was taken to Ipswich Hospital with a fractured skull and released two weeks later.

O'Sullivan pleaded guilty to driving without due care and attention, driving while not being under the direction of someone holding an open licence and driving without L plates.

Magistrate Matthew McLaughlin told the unemployed driver he was lucky the woman was not more seriously injured.

Mr McLaughlin said O'Sullivan was “only a whisker away” from being charged with dangerous operation of a vehicle causing grievous bodily harm.

The 21-year-old was previously convicted of driving unaccompanied on a learner's permit with no plates in 2006 and May this year.

“You're back out doing it again and now you've cleaned up a bicycle rider in the process,” Mr McLaughlin said. “You can't keep driving around ignoring the laws.”

O'Sullivan was fined $750 and disqualified from driving for three months.