Norman Paul Body sentenced for high-range drink-driving in fatal crash south of Wagga

Norman Paul Body, of Gelston Park, was charged with driving with a high-range prescribed concentration of alcohol following the incident and was sentenced in Wagga Local Court yesterday.

The 46-year-old was driving his grey Nissan X-Trail south along Holbrook Road at Gelston Park when the vehicle collided with a grey Volkswagen Golf being driven by a 17-year-old boy about 8.30pm on March 12.

As a result of the collision, a 19-year-old male passenger in the Golf was taken to Wagga Base Hospital, but died as a result of his injuries.

Body was trapped in his car for a short time before being taken to the same hospital by ambulance.

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Testing of a sample of his blood taken that night later was found to contain a blood alcohol concentration of 0.154.

When Body was later questioned by police, he said he had been at the house of a work colleague in Glenoak for a barbecue where he consumed four beers and two whiskeys between the afternoon and 8pm.

However, Body said he also ate a substantial amount of food during that period.

In relation to the collision, he recalled seeing headlights too close for comfort on his side of the road.

"I just remembered that I had no time to do anything, just that the car was there and I had no time," Body said at the time.

Police said Body and the driver of the other car provided investigators with differing accounts of who was on the wrong side of the road leading up to the tragedy.

Police facts tendered to the court said tyre marks at the scene indicated the Golf swerved from the northbound lane into the path of the X-Trail. Investigators also found the impact was in the southbound lane.

However, police also concluded there was no road evidence from Body's vehicle to confirm where it was prior to the collision.

In court yesterday, Body's solicitor said the incident served as a "tragic reminder of what can happen ... on the roads".

His solicitor argued while the crash was not his fault, Body still felt guilty for being involved in the collision.

The court also heard Body has not had access to a car since the incident.

Magistrate Christopher Halburd took into account Body's plea of guilty and made it clear he was not being sentenced over the collision.

"You ... ended up in hospital [and are] obviously very remorseful," Magistrate Halburd said.

Body was convicted, fined $900 and disqualified from driving for 12 months.

The 17-year-old driver of the Golf has also been charged over the crash and remains before the court.

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