5 days ago
Scott Death pleads guilty to Cowra minibus crash offences that led to death of 84yo man
A driver who crashed into a courtesy minibus, causing an elderly man to be thrown from the vehicle, has pleaded guilty to dangerous driving occasioning death.
Scott Death, 34, appeared via video link in the Orange District Court on Friday where he pleaded guilty to a string of charges relating to the deadly crash on the night of December 16, 2023.
Police alleged the man reversed out of a driveway at speed in the NSW Central West town of Cowra and hit a Cowra Bowling Club courtesy bus.
Raymond Padgett, 84, was ejected from the vehicle and died.
The bus driver and four other passengers suffered minor injuries and were taken to Cowra Hospital for treatment.
Death, who appeared via AVL from Wellington Correctional Centre, was visibly upset while pleading guilty to dangerous driving occasioning death and five counts of causing bodily harm by misconduct.
The court heard the Crown and defence is yet to reach an agreement over the facts of the incident.
"It is essentially about the level of intoxication and the level of impairment, and how that impacted his level of driving ability," prosecutor Paula Pollock told the court.
Death will be sentenced on July 28.
