A man involved in a hit-and-run road crash that killed a 15-year-old boy in Darwin last year has apologised to the victim's family, after pleading guilty in the Darwin Supreme Court.
Garth Spain, 33, pleaded guilty to one count of dangerous driving causing death and one count of failing to stop and provide assistance, following the incident on August 21 last year.
Jack Parker, 15, was riding his scooter across Matthews Road in Wulagi when he was hit by a ute driven by Spain.
Outside court after his bail was extended, Spain said he felt terrible about the incident.
"I truly am sorry to the victim's family, and my own family."
Offender drove to police station after incident
Prosecutor Steve Ledeck said Spain had been drinking alcohol before the incident and was driving about 80 kilometres per hour along Matthews Road, which had a 60kph speed limit.
He said the victim suffered "fatal blunt force trauma injuries" after making contact with the passenger side of the vehicle and being thrown more than 40 metres. He died at the scene.
The court heard after the incident, Spain had driven straight to the Casuarina Police Station but the front counter was closed, and shortly after called Crime Stoppers during which he made a number of admissions about the crash.
"Including "I just hit someone with my car"... "I panicked, I panicked, ok, I'm sorry. I came here and rang," Mr Ledeck said Spain told police at the time.
A follow up breath test returned a low-range result, and he also tested positive for cannabis.
Mr Ledeck said it was dusk at the time of the incident, and the street was well-lit, but noted there was a truck parked on a yellow line near the street crossing, which could have partially blocked Spain seeing the victim approach.
"However it is [the police's] conclusion that had it not been for the speed the offender was travelling, the collision would not have occurred," he said.
Factors of crash not 'extreme examples'
His lawyer Matt Hubber told the court his client's guilty plea showed he was remorseful, and that he intended to continue not using drugs and alcohol, which was also a condition of his bail.
"My client has completed a residential three-month alcohol rehabilitation course ... he has no interest in drinking or taking drugs, he tells me, from here on in" he said.
Mr Hubber said Spain acknowledged he was driving too fast and agreed he should have seen the truck blocking his view of the crossing and responding appropriately.
But Mr Hubber said none of the factors influencing the crash, including alcohol and drug use, could be described as "extreme examples" of their type.
"The offending sits in the middle of the lower range for this type of offence, one can easily imagine more serious examples of this offending in almost every factor."
He also said his client's decision to leave the scene was not to get out of trouble, and he had simply panicked.
Spain will return to court next month to be sentenced.
