A drink-driver who was texting in the moments before he caused a head-on crash, seriously injuring a female driver at Panmure, has been jailed.
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Reece Taylor, 34, of Nullawarre, had been drinking when he got behind the wheel of his Holden Commodore to drive to his ex-wife's house on April 9, 2019.
He was travelling on the Princes Highway, west of Panmure, when he began texting as he approached a sweeping bend.
He sent 23 text messages in 16 minutes before making a call to his ex-wife at 11.34pm.
Taylor travelled onto the wrong side of the road, colliding head on with a Nissan Dualis and seriously injuring the 26-year-old female driver.
He pleaded guilty in Warrnambool County Court in February to dangerous driving causing serious injury and other driving offences.
On Tuesday he was jailed for two years and three months with a non-parole period of nine months.
The court heard that upon impact, the victim's Dualis rolled numerous times before hitting a stationary truck at a roadside truck stop and coming to rest on its roof.
Airbags were deployed and the victim was trapped upside in her car.
She was later airlifted to Royal Melbourne Hospital with multiple fractures, including to her spine, and injuries to her head and spleen.
She still suffers ongoing weekly migraines, persistent back pain and frequently attends a Warrnambool pain clinic.
The court heard Taylor had no recollection of the crash.
A forensic physician believed the man had a blood alcohol content of between .92 and .127 at the time of the collision.
Judge Frances Hogan said Taylor should never have driven, given he was tired and had been drinking.
"So much injury and grief is caused on our roads by foolish and irresponsible behaviour like yours," she said.
But she said she accepted Taylor carried a "tremendous amount of guilt" from the incident and had acknowledged his irresponsibility.
Judge Hogan said Taylor suffered complex post traumatic stress disorder following a disadvantaged childhood and she accepted a lengthy term of imprisonment would weigh heavily on him.
Taylor has served 27 days in custody on remand.
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Jessica Howard
jessica.howard@warrnamboolstandard.com.au
jessica.howard@warrnamboolstandard.com.au
