Guilty crash GP 'made serious error'
A Nedlands GP has been fined $5000 and banned from driving for two years over a crash that caused a Coles delivery driver to have his leg amputated.
Christine Marie Caffrey was today found guilty of dangerous driving causing grievous bodily harm after she crashed into Matthew Chapman, 32, last August.
Mr Chapman was preparing a delivery behind his truck, which was parked on Vincent Street in Nedlands, when he was hit by Caffrey's Subaru.
Prosecutor Judith Fordham argued Caffrey was on the phone to her daughter either at the time of or seconds before the crash.
But Magistrate Michael Wheeler told the court he was not convinced she was on the phone.
He said she was either "totally distracted" by something or was driving with inattention when she caused the catastrophic accident.
"You made a serious driving error," he said.
Caffrey has continuously denied she was distracted at the moment of impact.
She admitted her phone was ringing but said she did not answer it.
The 52-year-old administered first aid to Mr Chapman, who suffered severe injuries to both legs, after ramming into the three-tonne lorry.
Delivery driver Matthew Chapman lost a leg in the crash. Picture: Ben Crabtree/ The West Australian
During the trial, she told the court the road was dark but she did not have her headlights on full beam. She said all she had seen before the crash was a large black shape.
