Less than a year after nearly dying in a crash, Jacob Jones killed his girlfriend in a horror smash on Victoria's Mornington Peninsula.
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The 26-year-old was jailed for 10 years on Wednesday over the November 2020 crash that claimed the life of Savannah Maxwell, 23.
Jones had a cocktail of drugs in his system, was drink driving and speeding at the time of the crash which also seriously injured another passenger.
He and Ms Maxwell had been to a birthday party before the crash. They used a ride share service to get home, but shortly after arriving went out again with Jones behind the wheel.
At 9.51pm on November 14 a speed camera captured him doing 113km/h in an 80km/h zone. Minutes later he overtook another vehicle at speed, swerving sharply back into the left lane and narrowly missing the front of the other car.
He accelerated away but a short time later he lost control after overcorrecting the steering. The car ran off the road and the passenger side struck several trees or shrubs before flipping onto its roof.
At the time of the crash the car was travelling between 144km/h and 159km/h in a 60km/h zone, County Court Judge Peter Lauritsen said.
Jones climbed out of the car through a window. and told witnesses and police that the driver had run away.
Ms Maxwell suffered fatal head injuries. The back seat passenger suffered suffered multiple leg fractures which required surgery.
Jones pleaded guilty to culpable driving causing death and negligent driving causing serious injury.
He also admitted driving an unroadworthy and unregistered vehicle while disqualified.
Judge Lauritsen said Jones had a blood alcohol level of 0.193 when tested after the crash and had six different substances in his system - including two benzodiazepine drugs.
In February 2020 Jones was the passenger in another serious crash which left him on life support for 10 days.
He had his spleen, parts of his pancreas and some of his bowel removed and suffered fractures.
Jones spent four months in rehabilitation at The Alfred and has suffered psychologically since, the judge said.
He had started using ice and GHB after the crash, but traded the illicit substances for alcohol and Xanax after an overdose led to him being hospitalised in October 2020.
Jones will be eligible for parole after serving six-and-a-half years.
Australian Associated Press
