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DEATH OF DAMIAN COOPER
THE DEATH OF DAMIAN COOPER IN LYGON STREET.
report in the Herald Sun
Elissa HuntFebruary 10, 2009
A SPEEDING driver who struck and killed a young man on
Lygon St sped up despite seeing pedestrians crossing the road,
a jury has heard.Pub chef Damian Cooper, 26, suffered horrific injuries when he was hit
by Om Paranorts Honda and catapulted into a telephone box in
January 2007.
A County Court jury was told it was alleged that Mr Paranort was
doing up to 100km/h and did not even try to slow down or stop as he
sped along the busy street, which dropped from a 60km/h to a 50km/h
zone just after the intersection where the crash happened.
Mr Paranort, 23, has pleaded not guilty to culpable driving causing Mr
Coopers death.
Prosecutor Susan Borg said in her opening address that Mr Paranorts
driving was grossly negligent in that he did not keep proper lookout for
people on the road and was travelling at an unsafe speed.
She said witnesses claimed the driver accelerated as he approached
the intersection and tooted his horn before striking Mr Cooper, who
was crossing at or near a pedestrian crossing at the Elgin St
intersection.
Some would say the lights had been green when Mr Cooper started to
cross but were red when Mr Paranort went through them, she said.
There were no skid marks on the road, indicating he did not brake as
he approached, she said.
Crash experts would be called to give evidence about his speed, which
was estimated at up to 100kmh due to the extensive injuries to Mr
Cooper and the distance he was thrown by the impact.
The jury was told another motorist saw Mr Paranort, of East
Brunswick, speed past him only moments before the crash and
estimated his speed at 90-100km/h.
The jury heard Mr Paranort admitted he was doing about 80kmh but
said he did not see the speed signs. He also told police he saw Mr
Cooper hesitate as he crossed before trying to run across the road.
Defence lawyer David Glynn told the jury that while Mr Paranort
admitted he was speeding they would have to determine what that
speed was and whether that alone made his driving criminally negligent.
He disputed that his client went through a red light or sped up as he
went through the intersection. He asked the jury to consider whether
Mr Paranorts driving was actually the cause of the collision.
The trial before Judge Michael McInerney is continuing.
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