British tourist pleads guilty to killing a man while drunk driving an e-scooter in Australia
Alicia Kemp, 25, admitted the charge during a hearing at the Western Australia Magistrate's Court, officials told The Associated Press. Kemp was riding an e-scooter with a passenger on board in the city of Perth on May 31 when she hit a 51-year-old man, Australian news outlets reported.
Thanh Phan hit his head on the pavement and later died in a hospital. Kemp and the scooter's passenger received minor injuries.
Kemp was visiting Western Australia state from Britain on a working holiday visa, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corp. Investigators estimated she was driving at about the maximum speed of a rental e-scooter, 20 to 25 kph (12 to 16 mph), when she crashed into Phan, the court was told at an earlier hearing.
A charge of causing harm to the passenger was dropped when Kemp made the appearance via video link from jail on Monday. She was earlier refused bail.
Mike Tudori, Kemp's lawyer, told reporters outside the court that his client was 'nervous and worried' as 'a young foreign national girl' in an Australian jail.
'She's obviously done something stupid at the time,' he said, according to Australian Associated Press. 'She obviously wasn't thinking, level-headed and there's consequences, and she just wants to get on with her life.'
Phan's family described him as a 'beloved husband, father of two, brother and dear friend,' according to the AAP.
Kemp will remain in custody until her next court appearance on Oct. 31, when a sentencing date will be set. The charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
Officials in Perth suspended e-scooter rental in the city after Phan's death, which was the fifth involving e-vehicles in the state in 2025. The state's government also launched an inquiry into the vehicles.
Melbourne, in Victoria state, was in 2024 the first Australian city to ban e-scooter hire. The move echoed prohibitions in some other cities worldwide, including Paris, France, where a ban was overwhelmingly approved in April 2023.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Chicago suburb calls out 'street takeovers'
The Brief Lombard police are warning about large groups riding e-bikes, scooters and dirt bikes in unsafe "street takeovers." Officials say the gatherings are dangerous and could lead to fines, arrests or other penalties. Parents are urged to talk to their kids about following traffic laws. LOMBARD, Ill. - Lombard police are warning residents about organized "street takeovers" involving groups of 30 to 40 riders on e-bikes, e-scooters, dirt bikes and other motorized devices. Police said the gatherings pose serious safety risks to pedestrians, cyclists and drivers. "Street takeovers" What we know Officials urged parents to speak with their children about the legal and safe operation of the devices, which must follow all traffic laws when used on public roadways. Violations, including blocking traffic or unsafe riding, can result in tickets, fines, vehicle impoundment or arrest, police said. Parents may also face penalties if minors are involved, including tickets, financial liability, delays in the teen's ability to obtain a driver's license until age 21 and responsibility for damages or court costs. The warning from officials follows a similar crackdown on groups of e-bike riders in Elk Grove Village. The department said it has been educating the community about laws and safety issues surrounding motorized devices for several months while also issuing citations and making arrests when needed. For more information on village regulations, head on over to their website. The Source The information in this report came from the Village of Lombard. Solve the daily Crossword
Washington Post
5 hours ago
- Washington Post
Americans are drying out: More say alcohol is unhealthy, poll finds
The percentage of Americans who say they consume alcohol has never been lower over the last 86 years, a new poll found. The Gallup poll, conducted July 7 to July 21 and released Wednesday, showed that 54 percent of American adults say they drink. It's the lowest number Gallup has reported since it began polling American drinking levels in 1939, and a 13 percentage-point drop from three years ago.
New York Times
7 hours ago
- New York Times
Tourist ‘Is in Trouble' After Stones Taken from Pompeii, Police Say
A Scottish man is under police investigation after visiting the ancient city of Pompeii, in what could be the latest in a long line of examples of tourists behaving badly around Italy's cultural treasures. The tourist was accused of stealing five stones and a fragment of brick from the world-renowned archaeological site on Wednesday. In a statement on Thursday, the police did not name the 51-year-old man but said he 'is in trouble' and under investigation for aggravated theft. Charges have not yet been filed. Investigators described the case as a 'perfect example of synergy' between a tour guide at Pompeii, site employees and a Carabinieri police unit stationed there. While escorting a group of visitors through the site, a tour guide saw a man pick up 'pieces of pavement from one of the streets of the ancient city' and put them in his backpack, according to the police statement. It said the guide informed site employees and park security, giving a detailed description of the accused perpetrator. They, in turn, informed the Carabinieri police, who tracked down the tourist at a train station outside the site. The stones and brick fragment were found in the man's backpack, the statement said. The tourist initially said 'that his son had taken them because he collects rocks and he didn't know it was illegal to pick up stones in Pompeii,' a spokesman for the Carabinieri in Naples, asked not to be identified as is customary in Italy, said by phone. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
