Woman 'thrown into air by car'

A MAN accused of smashing his vehicle into a woman so hard she was thrown into the air will face trial.

Michael James Charles Beck, 21, of Glenwood, appeared in Bundaberg Magistrates Court yesterday on drink driving, dangerous driving and driving while affected by a substance charges.

The court heard on October 18 last year Beck drove his car in to Kahlah Stanley after he had an argument with her and her partner, near the Kennedy Bridge. Ms Stanley’s partner was then dragged along Bourbong Street by the vehicle after trying to take the keys out of the ignition, it was alleged.

Ms Stanley and her partner had been drinking with Beck and his girlfriend that day.

She said she was in the car with Beck when he pulled the gold Commodore sedan over onto the footpath, got out, and began to argue with Ms Stanley’s partner.

This followed another disagreement between the two men earlier in the evening.

Ms Stanley also got out of the car and the argument continued between the three of them.

Senior Constable Dean Lukan, who was off-duty at the time, drove past the scene.

He gave evidence about seeing someone being hit.

“The person bent over the car with the force of the hit before being thrown backwards in the air,” he said.

“The person took the full impact of the boot of the vehicle.”

The witness said she could not remember much about the collision, but thought at first she had been hit by the back end of the sedan.

“I remember my stomach being hit and me landing on the grass,” Ms Stanley said.

Ms Stanley said the couple was taken to Bundaberg Hospital and she suffered bruising to her knee.

The witness said she was affected by alcohol at the time and during cross-examination defence solicitor Travis George asked her if she had been smoking cannabis.

She claimed privilege, which meant she did not have to answer any questions that would provide proof she had broken the law. Magistrate John Smith said Beck would face trial in the Bundaberg District Court.

He did not enter a plea.