Vic: Out-of-control car veers sideways, then into teens: witness

AAP General News (Australia)
02-13-2008
Vic: Out-of-control car veers sideways, then into teens: witness

MELBOURNE, Feb 13 AAP - An out-of-control car screeched its tyres then veered sideways
into a group of people, a trial into the deaths of six pedestrians has been told.

Thomas Graham Towle, 36, allegedly ran into a group of teenagers walking on Myall Street
at Cardross near Mildura as they left a 16th birthday party.

He is on trial in the Victorian Supreme Court facing 14 charges, including six of culpable
driving, over the incident on February 18, 2006.

Witness Justin Poulton, 21, was being driven to the party in Myall Street when he saw
the car approach.

"The car to me looked to be very much out of control," he told the court.

"I believe it was going very fast.

"I could hear the screeching of the tyres as it went past.

"It was then that the car began to slide sideways across the intersection, where it
hit a group of people which were on the right-hand side of the road."

He said he ran to the crash scene, while calling 000 on his mobile phone, and helped the injured.

His mother, Julie Poulton, who drove him and two friends to the party, said she earlier
saw a group of people on the left side of the road and slowed down.

She had pulled over to drop them off and had her blinker on ready to do a U-turn, but
said she stopped when she heard a fast car approach.

"It was just coming too fast. It was such a still night. It was flying," she said.

"I had my blinker on ready to go, but I thought, no, I'll wait till this car comes."

Ms Poulton said she later heard tyres screech, saw dust and heard screams.

"I knew he hit these kids," she said.

Witness Daniel Boeder, 34, said dust filled the air and people were screaming and yelling.

"People were yelling out for the driver," he said.

Several witnesses reported the car was travelling above the 100km/h speed limit.

The crash took the lives of Shane Hirst, 16, his sister Abby Hirst, 17, Stevie-Lee
Weight, 15, Cassandra Manners, 16, Cory Dowling, 16 and Josephine Calvi, 16.

The trial before Justice Philip Cummins continues.

AAP mi/pmu/jm/bwl

KEYWORD: TOWLE

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