Murray Bridge teenager sent to prison over fatal Dukes Highway crash

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A mistake made in a split second led to a fatal accident on the Dukes Highway last year – and the Murray Bridge teenager responsible has gone to prison for it.

Eighteen-year-old Jake Frederick Stock will spend at least two years in prison after being sentenced last week for his role in the collision which killed Keith woman Poppy Crozier.

Stock was travelling north on May 23, 2023 when he decided to overtake two B-double trucks in his Holden ute.

It was 6.43pm on a dark, wet evening, and there was an overtaking lane on the other side of the highway at Ki Ki.

Both opposing lanes were clear as he passed the first truck, but two sets of headlights became visible up ahead as he overtook the second truck.

He sped up, trying to get back onto the right side of the road, but his ute collided with the front corner of an oncoming Mazda CX-3, spinning it into the B-double behind him.

The Mazda’s driver, 19-year-old Ms Crozier, died instantly.

In sentencing Stock in Adelaide’s District Court last Wednesday, Judge Jane Schammer described him as an overconfident and inexperienced driver.

“Not only did you attempt to overtake a large truck on a stretch of road that was signed to prohibit overtaking unless both oncoming lanes of traffic were clear, but you did so just prior to a sweeping bend,” she said.

“It was very dark … visibility was poor and you say you were struggling to see the painted lanes on the road.

“It was critical that you wait until the road ahead was clear.”

She noted that Stock had no history of offending, had not been affected by alcohol or drugs, and had apologised to Ms Crozier’s family.

He had broken his ankle in the accident, had suffered from nightmares, and would likely have to declare bankruptcy.

However, the judge suggested his failure to notice warning signs about oncoming traffic, or the double line at the site of the crash, had not been “a fleeting or isolated aberration”.

“With a driver’s licence comes responsibility, a responsibility to ensure that your driving does not pose a danger to the thousands of people who use our roads every day going about their normal day-to-day activities,” she said.

Judge Schammer sentenced Stock to three years, two months and eight days’ imprisonment, with a non-parole period of two years; and disqualified him from driving for 10 years.

She denied a request for home detention.

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