A teenager killed instantly when his vehicle ploughed into the back of a stationary delivery truck on Windang Road last year was street racing another car in the moments leading up to the crash, a court has heard.
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Jay Geoghegan and Jesse Brown were each seen driving their vehicles “at high speed” and moving in and out of traffic on Windang Road on the afternoon of September 14 before Mr Brown’s Holden Commodore clipped Geoghegan’s Toyota Coupe.
The collision speared the Commodore into another lane where it slammed into the back of the truck, which was parked out the front of the Windang golf driving range making a delivery.
Mr Brown, 18, was killed instantly, police said.
Geoghegan was taken to hospital for mandatory alcohol and drug testing but was cleared of any such outside factors.
Police charged him with dangerous driving occasioning death the following day.
Geoghegan pleaded guilty to the charge in Wollongong Local Court on Wednesday, while a further offence of participating in a street race will be taken into account when he is sentenced.
The then-19-year-old, who was granted conditional court bail following the incident and has remained at liberty for almost 12 months, could face a prison sentence of up to 10 years.
Documents tendered to the court following his guilty plea reveals Geoghegan was travelling southbound in front of Mr Brown’s car about 12.30pm when the two were seen by multiple witnesses to be racing at a speed above the 80km/hr signposted zone.
Dash Cam footage later seen by police captured both vehicles speeding in the third lane before Mr Brown’s car merged into the first lane then partially back into the third lane.
It was at this time the two cars collided, police said, resulting in Mr Brown steering his vehicle hard to the right.
“As a result the vehicle entered a slide slip, driver’s side leading, and collided heavily with the rear of the truck which was parked and unattended,” police said in their statement to the court.
When police later asked him about the incident, Geoghegan denied he and Mr Brown had been racing, however admitted Mr Brown was known to him.
Geoghegan will face Wollongong District Court on September 1 for a sentencing date to be fixed.