By Cam Lucadou-Wells
An ice-affected driver reached estimated speeds of up to 200 km/h before crashing into the back of a moving car on Princes Freeway, Pakenham, a court has heard.
A witness described Ryan Logan’s speed as “crazy” and the fastest he’d seen on the 100-km/h speed-limited freeway as Logan tried to pass his vehicle about 10pm on 25 April, police told Dandenong Magistrates’ Court on 6 February.
The driver moved out of the right-hand lane after Logan’s vehicle allegedly approached rapidly from behind with its headlights on high beam.
Travelling at 100 km/h, the driver shifted into the left lane to allow Logan to pass but Logan also steered behind him.
The driver then started to veer right when Logan crashed into the back of his car, prosecutor Senior Constable Ryan Johnson told the court.
Logan, a probationary driver whose licence was suspended at the time due to speeding, tested positive for methamphetamine.
He told police that he’d taken three unknown pills at home prior to driving.
The accused, who pleaded guilty to three counts of driving endangering serious injury, told the police interview that “I was stupid”.
“I was going way too fast.”
Logan also pleaded guilty to stealing nearly $250 of Mercedes Benz perfume from a chemist store and then $100 jeans and a $50 singlet from a clothing store in Pakenham on 28 October – while he was on bail.
At the clothing store, staff locked the doors as Logan tried to walk out wearing the stolen apparel.
Logan threatened to smash the glass front door with a skateboard on display in the shop until staff released him.
Logan escaped from police by jumping a back fence.
The next day he was taken to Casey Hospital for a psychiatric assessment and admitted for six days to Dandenong Hospital.
Magistrate Jack Vandersteen said he couldn’t understand how someone wasn’t killed or seriously injured during the driving incident.
“If you killed someone at that speed, in those circumstances, you would be looking at eight to 10 years imprisonment – not to mention the impact on an innocent member of the public.
“You just know it’s inherently dangerous if you see someone in a car doing what you were doing.”
Mr Vandersteen also took into account Logan’s youth, limited criminal history, thus-far successful drug treatment without relapse and lack of re-offending for the past four months.
Logan was convicted and placed on an 18-month community corrections order with drug testing and mental health treatment.
His licence was disqualified for 18 months.
