One night when he was 18 altered the course of Jayson Ziro's life forever.
He was a P-plate driver who shouldn't have had any alcohol in his system when driving, but in November 2018 he drove his friend home from a nightclub after a few drinks.
Ziro sped toward an intersection in Campbellfield, doing 82km/h in a 60km/h zone.
As he approached a red light he swerved around a car stopped in one of the lanes, flying straight through in the right turning lane as the lights changed to green.
Jack Baho, 21, was a passenger in another car which was also allegedly speeding along the road from the other direction.
He was killed when that car collided with Ziro at high speed.
Three others were injured in the crash, though none seriously.
Ziro was charged with culpable driving 10 months after Mr Baho's death but pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of dangerous driving causing death earlier this year.
His blood alcohol level was 0.046. It should have been 0.00.
He was jailed for two years and two months on Thursday. He'll have to serve at least 14 months before he's eligible for parole.
County Court Judge Rosemary Carlin said Ziro made conscious and deliberate choices to do what he did, and his intentional risk taking made his culpability high.
The two men by chance belonged to the same tight-knit community, which the court heard had heightened his exposure to the fallout of the crash.
"You were only 18 but what you did will remain with you for the rest of your life," she said.
"It altered the course of your life, and the lives of those who cared for you."
Judge Carlin said she had no doubt Ziro was sorry for what had happened and the pain he had caused his family, but she wasn't satisfied he had accepted responsibility for Mr Baho's death.
She said her sentence factored in the lengthy delays in his case including the considerable time between the crash and him being charged, which hasn't been explained.
She also noted there were factors outside of Ziro's control, including the actions of the other driver who is also charged over the crash.
Their case is continuing through the courts.
