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A foreign student who was allegedly travelling at almost 100km/h in a 40km/h zone along Camfield Drive when he hit a 17-year-old girl, causing her to somersault twice in the air before hitting the bonnet of the car, has been released on bail.
Chun Lai Yuen, 25, had to have proceedings translated through a Cantonese interpreter on Wednesday during his appearance at Perth Magistrate’s Court where footage of the incident that took place in Burswood on Monday night was played to the court.
The moment before the crash, captured by a bystander’s mobile phone.Credit: Instagram
The court heard Yuen was driving his Honda Civic sedan when he met with others at a car club event in Jandakot about 6.30pm that evening.
Police said 371 vehicles were involved in the car meet that travelled from Jandakot, to Bunnings in Melville, before concluding at Crown Perth.
Yuen was allegedly observed driving dangerously at the Bunnings stop, before it’s alleged that he travelled at “excessive speeds without any regard [to] road users or pedestrians”.
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The court heard that around 200 people lined Camfield Drive with spectators also gathering in a car park.
“Despite the conditions, the accused drove his vehicle south along Camfield Drive at a grossly excessive speed, later calculated to be 96km/h,” prosecutors told the court.
“Which was well above the posted 40km/h limit.
“The accused was fully aware that the road way was heavily populated but continued to drove at this speed creating a risk of serious injury or death to those gathering there.”
It is alleged that at about 9.55pm Yuen struck 17-year-old Caitlyn Dickson with his car, catapulting her four metres into the air.
The court was told that Dickson then somersaulted twice before hitting Yuen’s bonnet, causing him to “break harshly”, propelling her onto the road.
Prosecutors said that while bystanders were rendering first aid to Dickson, Yuen allegedly removed the SD storage card from his dashboard camera that was attached to his windscreen and destroyed it.
Caitlyn Dickson was struck on Camfield Drive near Crown Perth.
“He deliberately disposed of it,” they said.
The court then heard that Dickson, who was taken to Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, underwent surgery for life altering injuries including a torn aorta, fractured pelvis, fractured elbow, bladder tears and spleen tears.
Prosecutors said she was still in ICU in a critical but stable condition.
Yuen was taken to the Perth Watch House where he participated in a police interview but allegedly declined to comment except to say that he was “so sorry for the lady getting injured”.
The court heard the 25-year-old had been in Perth for three years on a graduate visa after he completed an advanced diploma in electrical engineering.
He was granted bail to an Ascot house on a $20,000 surety and $20,000 bail undertaking. He was also ordered to report to Belmont Police Station twice a week and not leave WA.
He is due back before the courts on August 15.
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