A 21-year-old carpenter who crashed into a car on the Bass Highway shortly before a separate fatal crash at the same place pleaded guilty to a careless driving charge in the Launceston Magistrates Court.
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Mitchell Jeffrey Harvey of Exeter pleaded guilty to a count of driving without due care and attention.
Tasmania Police dropped a charge of negligent driving.
Police prosecutor Ben Warren said that at 6.20 am on March 25, 2022 Harvey was driving his VW Amarok westerly toward the Illawarra Rd overpasss along the Bass Highway.
Due to transport of a heavy vehicle a line of traffic was stopped.
The last vehicle in the chain was a Toyota Hilux. Harvey collided with the Hilux which then collided with the Mitsubishi Triton in front which knocked a motor cyclist off his motor cycle.
Harvey's vehicle was off the side of the road and sustained signifcant damage.
A subsequent crash involving a truck at the same location resulted in the tragic death of the motor cyclist.
On April 6, 2022 Harvey told police in an interview that he was driving to work in the dark at about 100kmh. He saw a bit of fog but did not see any taillights.
He said he looked away for a couple of seconds to pick something out of his eye.
"He said that by the time he looked back there were tail lights there and he hit the brakes," Mr Warren said.
Harvey's only prior offence was for speeding.
Defence counsel Mark Doyle said Mr Harvey was not liable for the tragic and secondary crash in any way, shape or form.
He said that Harvey was a well-regarded carpenter who had fully co-operated with police and pleaded guilty at the first opportunity.
"It shows maturity in accepting responsibility and genuine remorse," he said.
"It was out of character for an industrious man."
Magistrate Evan Hughes questioned Mr Warren about the police view on factual basis for sentencing.
He said the particulars of the charge asserted that Harvey had failed to maintain a proper lookout and failed to avoid a collision.
"I need to hear submissions on whether the further crash in which a person loses their life is relevant to sentence," Mr Hughes said.
He said a consideration was whether if there was a causal link in culpability. Mr Warren said he would seek advice from Tasmania Police and advise the court on February 2 at 2.15pm.