A DRIVER had barely slept for several days when she crashed at Huntly and critically injured a passenger, a court has heard.
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Anna Patricia Cameron, 44, appeared in the County Court on Wednesday where she pleaded guilty to one charge of dangerous driving causing serious injury.
The court heard about 6.25pm on April 27, 2017, Cameron was driving a black Holden sedan on the Midland Highway in Huntly.
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There were two passengers in the car - a 24-year-old man in the front seat and a 22-year-old man lying in the back seat.
Cameron, who was 40 years old at the time, lost consciousness due to extreme fatigue and crashed into a tree.
The court heard on the night of April 25 - two days before the crash - Cameron was driving with the two men as they delivered synthetic cannabis to customers.
They finished the deliveries at 2am and then drove to the home of one of the men where they smoked synthetic cannabis.
About 4.30am, Cameron and one of the men went to another place where they smoked more synthetic cannabis and watched television. It was believed neither Cameron nor the man slept.
The court heard the man dropped Cameron off at her home about 10.30am on April 26 and didn't see her again until 7.30pm that night.
Like the previous evening, Cameron and the two men drove around delivering synthetic cannabis to customers between 8pm and 2am.
After the deliveries were completed, the group again went back to one of the men's homes where they drank alcohol and smoked until about 5am.
Cameron and one of the men again went back to his place where they continued to smoke and watch television.
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The court heard the pair did not sleep before returning to the other man's house at noon on April 27.
About 3pm that day, Cameron and the two men drove to Rochester. They were returning to Bendigo on the Midland Highway that evening when the car left the road and crashed into a tree.
Evidence from a sleep expert showed there were only four hours and 55 minutes in the 72 hours preceding the crash that Cameron could have slept.
Collision reconstruction experts determined Cameron had been driving about 60km/h at the time of the crash, which was the speed limit for that section of road.
There was no evidence of braking or any mechanical fault with the car.
Blood samples showed Cameron did not have any drugs or alcohol in her system.
The court heard the 24-year-old man in the front passenger seat suffered serious life-threatening injuries, including fractures to his ribs, pelvis, leg, and hip, as well as damage to his bowel and intestines.
The man was airlifted to The Alfred hospital in Melbourne and spent several weeks in intensive care.
A victim impact statement from the man's sister said her brother had "died three times" on the way to the hospital.
She said he was in an induced coma for four days and suffered a significant brain injury from the crash, resulting in memory loss and changes in mood.
The woman told the court her brother and family were devastated and heartbroken.
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Defence counsel Stephanie Wallace told the court Cameron had an acquired brain injury prior to the collision.
Ms Wallace submitted the injury would have impaired her client's judgement and while she shouldn't have driven, there was no evidence to show she wilfully chose to drive despite feeling fatigued.
The defence counsel submitted a community corrections order with supervision and mental health treatment would be an appropriate sentence.
Prosecutor Craig McConaghy told the court it was clear in the days preceding the crash, Cameron voluntarily participated in activities that led her to be sleep deprived.
He said Cameron told police she was concerned about the 24-year-old man's tiredness and therefore chose to drive the vehicle.
Mr McConaghy said that showed Cameron understood sleep was important and that it was dangerous to drive when sleep deprived.
The prosecutor said the judge also needed to consider the victim's serious injuries.
Mr McConaghy submitted it would be appropriate for Cameron to receive a jail term along with a community corrections order.
Judge Mandy Fox ordered Cameron to undergo a mental health advice and response service assessment and a community corrections order assessment.
Judge Fox said she would not be able to sentence Cameron without those materials.
Cameron is due to return to the County Court next month for sentencing. Her bail was extended to her next court date.
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