AN ABERDEEN woman accused of causing a crash on the New England Highway that killed her two-year-old daughter and seriously injured her then 11-month-old son has had her trial delayed.
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The 21-year-old, who cannot be identified, appeared in the dock of Tamworth District Court on Monday charged with nine offences.
The court was told negotiations were ongoing between the woman’s defence team and prosecutors in relation to a plea to some of the charges. Judge Jeffrey McLennan adjourned the matter until Wednesday for either a plea or to fix another trial date. The woman is accused of being disqualified from driving and under the influence of methylamphetamine and cannabis when she got behind the wheel of a Nissan Pulsar on August 17 to drive from Gunnedah to the Hunter Valley. She allegedly lost control of the sedan on the New England Highway near Willow Tree. The impact of the crash claimed the life of her two-year-old daughter, who police allege was seated in the front seat without a proper restraint.
A passerby who stopped to help discovered the body in a table drain.
The woman’s toddler son who was seated in the back of the sedan at the time of the crash was critically injured.
He suffered serious head injuries and was flown by the Westpac Rescue Helicopter to John Hunter Hospital in Newcastle. He has since been released.
Following expert examinations of the scene by crash investigators, the woman was charged by police from the Oxley Crash Investigation Unit in September, last year.
The 21-year-old is charged with dangerous driving occasioning death and grievous bodily harm while under the influence, dangerous driving occasioning death and grievous bodily harm while driving in a manner dangerous, negligent driving occasioning death and grievous bodily harm, driving while disqualified, driving under the influence and driving with a child under four who is not properly restrained.