Driver who 'did not stop' to face trial over crash that killed 16-year-old Ruby Crowley near Shepparton
A Shepparton man has been committed to stand trial in the County Court after pleading not guilty to killing a teenage passenger in a road collision in northern Victoria.
Shiva Kumar Jandhyala, 31, from Kialla, is alleged to have driven through a stop sign and collided with two other vehicles in Pine Lodge on April 19, last year.
The collision occurred at the Boundary Road-New Dookie Road intersection about 6:30pm.
One of Mr Jandhyala's passengers, 16-year-old Ruby Crowley from Lemnos, a farming hamlet on the outskirts of Shepparton, was seriously injured and died in hospital.
Another passenger, a 32-year-old man, also from Lemnos, was also seriously hurt. The drivers and passengers in the other vehicles were treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
Mr Jandhyala appeared at Shepparton Magistrates Court on Tuesday and pleaded not guilty to dangerous driving causing death and dangerous driving causing serious injury.
He is also facing three other charges, including failing to stop.
The court heard from three police witnesses, including Detective Acting Senior Sergeant Jenelle Hardiman, of Victoria Police's collision reconstruction unit.
Mr Jandhyala's defence barrister Kyle McDonald asked her about the safety of the intersection, including visibility at the time of the crash.
The court heard drivers travelling south along Boundary Road — as Mr Jandhyala was — had an obstructed view of drivers travelling west on New Dookie Road due to vegetation at the intersection.
Detective Acting Senior Sergeant Hardiman agreed but told the court that if Mr Jandhyala had obeyed the stop sign, it would not have been an issue.
"We know that from [the] airbag control module and from the momentum of that collision."
Asked if she considered the intersection to be dangerous due to its layout and the approaches, as well as a lack of safety features like flashing signs, Detective Acting Senior Sergeant Hardiman said she did.
Asked if an appropriate safety "treatment" for the intersection would include regularly trimmed vegetation, she said:
The court heard Mr Jandhyala's car was travelling at 55kph at the time of the collision.
The court was also told Ms Crowley was not wearing a seatbelt and it was not clear if the 32-year-old man was.Magistrate Simon Zebrowski said he was satisfied there was enough evidence to commit Mr Jandhyala to stand trial.
The matter will return to the County Court in Melbourne on July 22.
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