A SUSPENDED driver who careered into a group of onlookers while drifting and fishtailing along a remote stretch of road fled the scene while a 53-year-old man lay dying.
Lucas Dorn, 23, was represented by solicitor Matt Unwin when he appeared in Newcastle Local Court via audio visual link from jail on Wednesday.
He pleaded guilty to dangerous driving occasioning the death of John Callaghan, who suffered multiple head and neck injuries after he was struck by the rear of a Ford Fairlane on the side of Haul Road at Stockrington about 1am on June 29 last year.
The Fairlane was found on fire in McFarlanes Road at Chisholm about two hours after Dorn ploughed into the group.
Dorn also admitted to driving while suspended and two counts of causing bodily harm by misconduct, relating to two women who were also part of the group of onlookers.
He will appear in Newcastle District Court next month to get a sentence date.
Dorn, who had been suspended from driving for three months in May, was with a group of friends on June 28 and was drinking and working on cars.
At about 9.30pm, the group discussed doing some burnouts and drove in two vehicles to an isolated stretch of road at Stockrington.
Mr Callaghan was in another group that decided to go to the same stretch of road to see if anyone was driving in the area.
At some point, Dorn got behind the wheel of the gold Fairlane and drove away from the group of onlookers.
The group walked down towards where Dorn was doing burnouts as Dorn turned around and began drifting and fishtailing towards them.
Witnesses thought Dorn was travelling too fast and estimated his speed was between 60km/h and 80km/h, according to an agreed statement of facts.
As Dorn drove the Fairlane towards the group he lost control and travelled off the road and into the dirt where the group were standing.
Those gathered ran away from the road, but Mr Callaghan was struck by the rear of the vehicle, thrown about five metres and suffered serious head and spinal injuries.
Mr Callaghan was assisted at the scene by multiple people, who called triple-zero.
Paramedics were tasked to the scene, but given the remote location Mr Callaghan was lifted into the back of a ute and driven towards the entrance to the national park.
Paramedics arrived at the scene at 1.30am and made efforts to resuscitate the 53-year-old, but he died at the scene.
An autopsy revealed his cause of death was multiple head and spinal injuries.
Two other women suffered abrasions, lacerations and a broken nose.
After hitting the group Dorn got out, walked over to where the three victims were lying and saw witnesses performing CPR on Mr Callaghan, according to an agreed statement of facts.
Someone said "hurry up, we have to go", while another person said "We can't go, this dude is dying, we have to help him".
While others remained at the scene assisting Mr Callaghan, Dorn fled in the Fairlane and arranged for his mum to pick him up and drive him away.
They drove back to a house at Chisholm and the Fairlane was found on fire nearby about 2.40am.
Prosecutors said the evidence could not establish that it was Dorn who set fire to the Fairlane.
Dorn handed himself in at Maitland police station about 5.30pm on the day of the crash and was charged.
He was refused bail the next day and has remained behind bars ever since.
