A WOMAN who allegedly performed an illegal u-turn at Thornton and caused a crash that tragically killed a motorcyclist travelling behind her has appeared in Raymond Terrace Local Court.
Cheryl Anne Bramley, 71, of Beresfield, was represented by solicitor Mark Ramsland when she appeared in court on Monday charged with negligent driving occasioning death over the crash that killed Aaron Leech in Glenwood Drive.
Bramley had just left a medical centre in Poynton Place about 2.30pm on March 22 this year and turned left into Glenwood Drive.
After driving about 40 metres, Bramley allegedly put on her right blinker, slowed down, but did not completely stop, and then started to do a u-turn across double unbroken lines, according to court documents.
Mr Leech had also pulled out of a car park into Poynton Place and turned into Glenwood Drive and was travelling behind Bramley's Mitsubishi ASX.
When Bramley allegedly performed the u-turn, Mr Leech's motorbike braked harshly but he could not avoid colliding with the rear driver's side door of the ASX.
He suffered multiple injuries and died at the scene.
According to court documents, before the crash Mr Leech had been visiting his wife at her nearby work to have lunch and had just left to pick up their children from school.
Mr Leech was an experienced motorcycle rider but had not been riding much before the crash due to a shoulder injury and had decided to take the bike out on the day he was killed.
Crash investigators examined the scene and found there was insufficient evidence to suggest Bramley was speeding or driving dangerously, according to court documents.
However, they found her actions of performing an "illegal u-turn" at that location across double unbroken lines in the moments before the fatal crash constituted negligent driving.
Bramley will next appear in court on August 28.
