Great brakes

[jaydee]

This guy reckons he braked so hard it made his contact lens pop out, yeah right.

A SYDNEY P-plater deemed a habitual traffic offender has blamed a contact lens that "popped off his eye" for a high-speed crash that killed a 50-year-old grandfather.

Minh Nguyen, 24, was allegedly driving a yellow Honda convertible S2000 at high speed along the Hume Highway when it swerved across a median strip into oncoming traffic at Warwick Farm. The car hit a Toyota HiAce van driven by Toufic El-Zahab, who died at the scene.

A young female passenger in the van sustained minor injuries while Nguyen was trapped in his car with major injuries.

The court yesterday heard witnesses told police they saw the convertible racing a motorcycle shortly before the crash "at a speed believed to be well in excess of the prevailing 70km/h'' speed limit.

However, when Nguyen, of Macquarie Fields in Sydney's southwest, was arrested on Tuesday after a lengthy investigation by the metropolitan crash investigation unit, he denied he was street racing.

"He (said) a vehicle cut him off and he braked hard. This caused the contact lens to pop off his eye, causing him to panic and brake harder,'' police documents tendered to court alleged. "Subsequently he lost control and crashed into westbound lanes.''

Investigators have determined that the accident occurred at dusk on an overcast and dry evening. They could not locate any fault or defect with either vehicle.

At Central Local Court yesterday Nguyen pleaded not guilty to one count of dangerous driving occasioning death and one further count of negligent driving.

His lawyer Phillip Stewart applied for bail, which was unopposed by police on condition his wife deposit $2000 as surety and he report to police three times a week. A married man with three children, the court heard Nguyen was unemployed and received benefits of $700 per fortnight.

He will reside at his Macquarie Fields address and must report to police every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. The matter will return to Liverpool Local Court on February 25.

The court yesterday heard Nguyen's traffic record - which runs for more than three pages - showed he had been found guilty of driving recklessly and in a dangerous manner in 2004, for which he was fined $1000 and disqualified for 12 months.

The following year he was caught driving while disqualified, for which he was sentenced to a two-year suspended jail term. The RTA issued him with a habitual offender warning letter in 2005.

His criminal record also includes speeding and repeated offences for not displaying P-plates. He has also previously been charged with supplying a prohibited drug.

Magistrate Julie Huber noted he was not considered a flight risk but said he was "not to drive a motor vehicle in the state of NSW - that's any kind of motor vehicle.''

[Paxton]

Can't happen.

I've been wearing Contacts for 15 years, and I have never had one fall out, let alone when driving, water-skiing, or at all.

This is one of those 'any excuse'll do' type scenarios, where they driver will blame anybody but themselves. His record indicates that he isn't the world's greatest driver, and couldn't face loosing his license again. It was his own stupid fault, and has to face the facts - he was in the wrong.

[strike]

Is he an Australian citizen??? If not deport him, at best this guy needs to spend a little time reflecting behind bars

[FPV+fteT3]

What a looser seems like he has had plenty of warnings time for a serious reality check and a good time with bubba for say 10 or 15yrs. You could not seriously expect anyone to believe that crap I dont know too many people who could say his contact lense fell out causing his car to skid and land ontop of an oncoming van with a straight face. No not racing just doin 70k's yea right. If you can't do the time don't do the crime.

[Paxton]

Originally Posted by fpv84d

You could not seriously expect anyone to believe that crap I dont know too many people who could say his contact lense fell out causing his car to skid and land ontop of an oncoming van with a straight face. No not racing just doin 70k's yea right. If you can't do the time don't do the crime.

I don't think anybody who has worn contact lenses could state that they have had one pop off their eyes. The Soft Lenses aren't rigid enough to move at speed. Unless the idiot put the bloody thing in wrong, he has no excuse at all.

[vztrt]

Originally Posted by jaydee

His lawyer Phillip Stewart applied for bail, which was unopposed by police on condition his wife deposit $2000 as surety and he report to police three times a week. A married man with three children, the court heard Nguyen was unemployed and received benefits of $700 per fortnight.

..........

The court yesterday heard Nguyen's traffic record - which runs for more than three pages - showed he had been found guilty of driving recklessly and in a dangerous manner in 2004, for which he was fined $1000 and disqualified for 12 months.

The following year he was caught driving while disqualified, for which he was sentenced to a two-year suspended jail term. The RTA issued him with a habitual offender warning letter in 2005.

His criminal record also includes speeding and repeated offences for not displaying P-plates. He has also previously been charged with supplying a prohibited drug.

Probably jumping the gun, but unemployed and driving an s2000??

[Rodp]

It's disgusting to come up with such a lame excuse when your actions resulted in the death of an innocent victim. Clearly he was being a maniac on the road and he needs to be held accountable to the full extent of the law.

[Falcon Coupe]

He should have been jailed already with such a history, it may have saved a life.

[XESP351]

Originally Posted by vztrt

Probably jumping the gun, but unemployed and driving an s2000??

Yes that was the first thing i thought when i read the highlighted bit, $700 a fortnight isn't enuf to look after three kids let alone having a (modified) s2000 (unless the Mrs has a great paying job of course).

[bd737]

Originally Posted by vztrt

Probably jumping the gun, but unemployed and driving an s2000??

Drugs.

[Spudz27]

Originally Posted by XESP351

Yes that was the first thing i thought when i read the highlighted bit, $700 a fortnight isn't enuf to look after three kids let alone having a (modified) s2000 (unless the Mrs has a great paying job of course).

If his mrs has a great paying job he better be charged with fraud aswell. Heck I earn a measely $670pw after tax and when my partner leaves er job to have our second child apparantly I earn enough to support the whole family, this includes rent, bills, car, contents and health insurance etc. My guess is he get's a little more than benefits from other dubious avenues.

[pauljh74]

Could be recently unemployed and made (most of) his money from a proper job, but chances are he earned the money for the Honda via illegal means as he has previously been caught doing. As for the cause of the crash, I'd say it is BS and he's just trying to weasel out of greater charges.
For a guy with 3 kids, he should have got rid of the Honda.

[xurbanx]

Doubt it, the guy just isn't man enough to admit it's his fault.

As for the car, I wouldn't be surprised if it was paid off by his family (something about the Asian mindset - driving a higher class car = higher respect from others, I'd know, I'm Asian myself), that or it's supplied through "other" means.

Hope he gets what he deserves, that's just utterly stupid.

[XR6_190]

Sounds like any excuse will do and that he doesn't give a rats that he's killed a man in the process, this type of scum don't deserve freedom.

[desGT]

Originally Posted by Paxton

I don't think anybody who has worn contact lenses could state that they have had one pop off their eyes. The Soft Lenses aren't rigid enough to move at speed. Unless the idiot put the bloody thing in wrong, he has no excuse at all.

And, even if one fell out, you do not go blind! The other eye is still working and the brain will compensate (look at the new "bi-focal" contact lens's and how they work). Crap.

[axeray]

Whether the lens fell out or not doesn't matter. He was speeding and should go to jail for killing someone.

The lens story is probably the lawyers idea.

[dave289]

this lowlife should have already been behind bars ,but our gutless court system allows these people to continually do the wrong thing and get away with it. he has proven he has no regard for the safety of others many times over prior to this incident and should have been locked up for basically continually putting the public at risk before this incident. this is what the law is supposedly for.yet they let him off again and again until he kills someone and now they let him off again. he should be jailed now because he has proven he will also drive whilst disqualified and may kill somebody again.this proves the court system is a total joke.why do i have to put up with this . :

ps. as for the lens coming out what a load of .not only does he kill somebody but makes further insults by coming up with this crap and not having the guts to accept what he has done and admit it.

[burnz]

Originally Posted by bd737

Drugs.

yeah i'd have to say drug's considering where he live's aswell.

[351capri]

i call bs. unemployed,driving S2000, young female passenger (not Wife), history of infringements and drug conviction. DRUG DEALER / PIMP. should have been locked up on the spot. only feel sorry for the family of driver who died. this guy will only disregard his penalties and keep driving and possibly kill someone else. repeat, should be locked up..

[ehast13]

my glasses fell off while driving once. It was hot, my face was sweaty and when I wiped my forehead I knocked my glasses off. Here's the big surprise...

I didn't crash

No-one else crashed

No-one died

No -one was injured.

I took the next exit and picked them up out of the floorwell

I guess I was just lucky, eh?

[irlewy86]

Lets assume he isn't lying about the contact lens. If he braked so hard that a contact popped out, then braked harder and lost control, he is lying about not speeding.

[Boza]

Originally Posted by jaydee

His criminal record also includes speeding and repeated offences for not displaying P-plates. He has also previously been charged with supplying a prohibited drug.
Magistrate Julie Huber noted he was not considered a flight risk but said he was "not to drive a motor vehicle in the state of NSW - that's any kind of motor vehicle.''

Have a look at his prior offences no wonder he has an s2000 and hes on unemployment benefits

[ltd_on20s]

lol @ "my lens popped out" thats a new one to use. inventive but what a douche. someone died u idiot. be a man and take responsibility.

an, shall we call an "aquiantace" of mine lodged his car into a pole a few months back......his arguement to insurance? "his alarm went off and all the lights and siren went off and he paniced and swerved into the pole"....smart one....if his car had an alarm....

[Gabbs]

He may as well just said vtec kicked in and his contact lens came off his eyeball and up behind his eyelid. Anyone that wears contact lens know that they just don't pop off.

[DDXR6T]

Originally Posted by Paxton

I've been wearing Contacts for 15 years, and I have never had one fall out, let alone when driving, water-skiing, or at all.

True, Hell ... I even swim with them in and can open my eyes under water!

[ZA-289]

I think my mate has the same lawyer, gee they come up with some great sories dont they!

[jaydee]

Not knowing physics too well but at a guess I'd say if his car decallorated so quickly his contact lens popped out then I'd say his head would have also been ripped off his shoulders.

[mik]

its possible , my au has such good brakes this happened to my lady friend .....and its permanent!!

[Stefan]

Originally Posted by 351capri

i call bs. unemployed,driving S2000, young female passenger (not Wife), history of infringements and drug conviction. DRUG DEALER / PIMP.

Young female passenger was in the van....