A man who was drug-affected when he crashed his ute into another car head-on at Kotara - killing a woman - has been sentenced to a maximum of three years and two months in jail.
Andrew Matijevic, 28, previously pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated dangerous driving occasioning death over the fatal smash on Park Avenue last year.
Judge Tim Gartelmann, SC, said Matijevic had etizolam and flubromazolam in his blood at the time of the crash - substances not cleared for sale in Australia but sometimes found in counterfeit benzodiazepine tablets.
He said a forensic pharmacologist opined that Matijevic's driving ability would have been "very substantially impaired" by the drugs in his system when the crash occurred.
Judge Gartelmann said an expert opinion from a psychologist found that Matijevic was self-medicating by abusing prescription drugs after developing post traumatic stress disorder following a home invasion in 2018.
The crash took place about 10 metres south of Bender Parade just after 9.30am on April 12, 2020.
Matijevic was involved in a near-miss with another vehicle when he crossed to the wrong side of the road only minutes before he entered the lane of oncoming traffic on Park Avenue and ploughed into a sedan being driven by a 58-year-old woman.
The woman was trapped in the car before being taken to hospital, where she died from multiple injuries to her chest and limbs later that afternoon.
Matijevic had a mandatory interlock system in his ute at the time because of a prior conviction for driving under the influence.
Witnesses and police reported that he appeared to be affected by an illicit substance immediately after the Kotara crash.
Judge Gartelmann said it could not be proved beyond reasonable doubt that Matijevic was illegally using his phone at the time of the crash, but records showed he placed a call three minutes before the first witness dialled triple zero for help.
Matijevic received a non-parole period of one year and eight months, meaning he will be first eligible for possible release in January, 2023.
