By Rowan Forster
A victim of a terrifying hit-and-run in Officer earlier this year – which saw seven children mowed down by a stolen car – has praised a Victorian judge’s decision to jail the driver for nine years.
Zhane Su’a, 22, was sentenced to prison on Friday after pleading guilty to 10 charges, including five counts of recklessly causing injury, and one each of recklessly causing serious injury reckless conduct endangering life.
Pakenham’s Chanel Crofts has described the psychological trauma she suffered as a result of the incident.
“It’s something I will never forget – the day I almost lost my little girl,” she told the Gazette.
“It was a miracle that the car only clipped Soph (Ms Crofts’ daughter) and didn’t hit her directly, or things could have been so much worse.
Su’a was sentenced to nine years in prison, with a minimum of five years before being eligible for parole.
Ms Crofts said she felt an overwhelming sense of relief when the verdict was delivered.
“You always fear that the justice system will let them off too lightly, but in this instance I think it delivered,” she said.
“This is something that is going to affect dozens of people for the rest of their lives.”
The 22-year-old sped through an intersection at Grandvue Boulevard and Princes Highway in February, crashing through a pedestrian island and hitting eight pedestrians.
After jumping from the stolen ute, Su’a called a friend and fled the scene instead of stopping to help.
Victims including children aged as young as six, and their families were seriously affected by the crash.
While the victims have reportedly been traumatised by the ordeal, witnesses were also equally as distressed.
One onlooker said the punishment was “not long enough”.
“My son had nightmares for ages after witnessing this and he still talks about it often when we go through that intersection,” Jae Peachev said.
In the weeks following the incident, the Gazette documented survivor Evie Rook’s journey.
The eight-year-old was one of the children injured in the hit-and-run, and it inspired her to shave her head for cancer.
Despite causing the crash, S’ua had never held a driver’s license.
He was in hiding for three days before he was arrested – while his victims were recovering in hospital.
The 22-year-old has already served more than 280 days of his sentence.
