Hi all,
So I have to appear in court in about 6 weeks for a Careless Driving charge. I hit the rear of a crane on a freeway after going around a slight bend on the freeway. I was looking (not touching) at my GPS fixed to my air vent, and failed to see to see the crane in time. No witnesses (well I didn't get their names), only me and the driver. The police and the ambulance came later.
I am 95% sure that the crane was illegally driving on the 100km freeway. While the details of the case state the crane was travelling at '58-60km per hour', I have done some research and I am confident that the maximum speed the crane model can do is 49km. According to the Victorian road laws, a crane that's maximum speed is 'not more than 60 km/h may not be used on any freeway or tollway on the approved roads.'
What are my next steps from here? Can I plead Not Guilty on the grounds that the crane was illegally driving on the road? Should I definitely get a legal representative or go for it myself? This is my first court appearance and I'm 25.
Also I have some very selective quotes used by the policeman as evidence (which have no context and are very skewed). Can I request a recording of the police interview? My friend said that for the quotes to be used as evidence, a recording is mandatory?
Thanks heaps!
So I have to appear in court in about 6 weeks for a Careless Driving charge. I hit the rear of a crane on a freeway after going around a slight bend on the freeway. I was looking (not touching) at my GPS fixed to my air vent, and failed to see to see the crane in time. No witnesses (well I didn't get their names), only me and the driver. The police and the ambulance came later.
I am 95% sure that the crane was illegally driving on the 100km freeway. While the details of the case state the crane was travelling at '58-60km per hour', I have done some research and I am confident that the maximum speed the crane model can do is 49km. According to the Victorian road laws, a crane that's maximum speed is 'not more than 60 km/h may not be used on any freeway or tollway on the approved roads.'
What are my next steps from here? Can I plead Not Guilty on the grounds that the crane was illegally driving on the road? Should I definitely get a legal representative or go for it myself? This is my first court appearance and I'm 25.
Also I have some very selective quotes used by the policeman as evidence (which have no context and are very skewed). Can I request a recording of the police interview? My friend said that for the quotes to be used as evidence, a recording is mandatory?
Thanks heaps!