Driver sentenced after woman suffers fatal injuries from highway crash

The Queensland woman who was aged in her 90s was travelling with two other family members when their car collided with another vehicle on the New England Highway on March 28, 2022.

The driver of the other vehicle, Tamworth man Craig Crosland, appeared in Tamworth Local Court where he was sentenced for negligent driving occasioning death, and negligent driving occasioning grievous bodily harm (GBH).

Court documents sighted by the Leader reveal Crosland was behind the wheel of a white 1988 Nissan Navara when he was driving north on the New England Highway at about 11:45am.

The 59-year-old was travelling with one other passenger when he approached the intersection of Sandy Road and Porcupine Lane, near Kootingal, and moved into the right-hand turning bay.

"There were other vehicles in the opposite turning bay including one towing a horse float," the agreed facts state.

The Queensland family were travelling on the highway in the opposite direction in a Kia Carnival.

When Crosland started to turn right the Kia smashed into the passenger side door of the Navara, causing the Nissan to flip onto the drivers side a push up against a guard rail.

The Kia remained on the road with extensive damage to the front of the car.

Emergency services raced to the scene to free the occupants of both vehicles.

At the scene, the driver of the Kia told police "we were driving down and before we knew it he turned straight in front of us".

He told police he did not have time to brake when he spotted Crosland turning.

Crosland, his passenger, and two women who were travelling in the Kia were taken to hospital for further treatment.

One of the women later died in hospital.

The agreed facts state the 59-year-old had pleaded guilty to negligent driving on the basis he "significantly misjudged" the distance between his vehicle and the oncoming Kia when attempting to make the right-hand turn.

Crosland was initially charged by specialist crash investigators in January 2023, almost a year after the fatal crash.

In court, the 59-year-old appeared before magistrate Mal MacPherson who disqualifed him from driving for 12 months.

Crosland was sentenced to a 15 month community corrections order for the negligent driving occasioning death charge, and a 12 month community corrections order for negligent driving occasioning grievous bodily harm.