Adelaide woman accused in 2021 hit and run goes on trial

ABC NEWS (Australia)

A court has heard an Adelaide woman accused of killing a medical specialist in a hit and run crash had consumed more than a litre of wine before driving home. The 31-year-old has gone on trial over the collision two years ago insisting she's innocent of causing death by dangerous driving and leaving the scene of an accident.

Transcript

00:00 Lauren Jean Wilgoose leaves Adelaide's District Court after her first day on trial.

00:07 The 31-year-old is accused of killing prominent neuropsychologist Anthony Walsh in a hit-and-run

00:13 crash on Goodwood Road in June 2021.

00:17 Prosecutors told the court Ms Wilgoose's blood alcohol level was significantly higher

00:22 than the legal limit.

00:23 They said she drank more than a litre of red wine at a nearby pub before getting behind

00:29 the wheel.

00:30 Mr Walsh was leaving a dinner with friends when he went to cross the road around 10pm.

00:36 Prosecutor Michael Fondas said that Ms Wilgoose simply drove through Mr Walsh, tossing him

00:41 up into the air and to the side of her vehicle.

00:45 She did not brake, she did not swerve, there were no evasive manoeuvres whatsoever.

00:50 She just kept on driving, effectively leaving Mr Walsh for dead.

00:54 The 70-year-old died at the Royal Adelaide Hospital almost 20 days later.

01:00 Prosecutors will allege that there was sufficient lighting for Ms Wilgoose to see Mr Walsh crossing

01:05 the road and that the collision caused a loud bang.

01:09 But the 31-year-old's lawyer has indicated that the lighting and the condition of the

01:13 road at the time will be contested and that they will be the key considerations in determining

01:19 whether she knew what had happened.

01:21 The court heard that Ms Wilgoose made a series of phone calls to criminal law firms when

01:26 she arrived home later that night.

01:28 The trial will visit the scene of the crash tomorrow.

01:31 [BLANK_AUDIO]

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