A driver who blamed her Tesla’s Autopilot settings when she hit a nurse boarding a tram in March 2022 has been sentenced to nine months in jail.
Indian citizen Sakshi Agrawal, 25, who is in Australia on a bridging visa, could be deported to her home country after serving her sentence for the hit-and-run crime.
The P-plater pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing serious injury and failing to stop in the Victoria County Court, just days before her trial over the early morning crash on Wattletree Road in the Melbourne suburb of Armadale was due to begin.
Nurse Nicole Lagos, then 26, spent a fortnight in an induced coma and suffered life-changing injuries after being hit at 58 km/h and thrown 10 meters while boarding a tram.
The tram driver and other passengers heard a loud “bang”, while a driver behind Agrawal’s $68,000 Tesla Model 3 saw Ms Lagos “thrown into the air up to the stop sign”.
Sakshi Agrawal (pictured), who blamed her Tesla’s Autopilot when she hit a nurse boarding a tram in March 2022, has been sentenced to nine months in jail.
Agrawal initially fled the scene in panic, but returned two hours later, where she was arrested by police.
The court heard she initially told police the Tesla was on Autopilot and its autobrake failed when Mrs Lagos “jumped” in front of her car.
But further investigation revealed that the Autopilot function was not activated at the time, that an alert for a possible collision was activated moments before the crash and that there was no recording of braking.
CCTV showed the luxury vehicle overtaking several cars before ending up behind a busy tram which Agrawal tried to overtake when the disaster struck.
Defense lawyer Nick Papas KC admitted his client had lied to police.
“The reality is that she was trying to rationalize her own behavior, trying to explain the inexplicable and how she could do such a thing,” he told the court.
The extent of Ms Lagos’ injuries was revealed in court, where her heartbreaking victim impact statement was read.
He spent two weeks in a coma induced by a traumatic brain injury at The Alfred, the hospital where he worked.
“When I woke up from the coma, I suffered post-traumatic amnesia,” Ms. Lagos’ statement read.
‘It took me 30 days to be competent enough to remember things like the day of the week.
“I will have brain damage for the rest of my life.”
Before the collision, Lagos was going to the gym six days a week and training for a marathon.
She now has a minimal social life, low self-confidence, can’t concentrate for more than an hour at a time, and is worried about whether she will ever find a life partner and have a family.
‘Life without dreams is pretty bleak. There’s nothing to work for,’ he said.
“Every time I pass a car or see a tram, it’s a reminder that this has happened to me.”
Judge Peter Rozen told Agrawal that he did not stop to help his injured victim, as required by law and “common decency,” the judge said. Herald of the sun reported.
“Instead she accelerated to a speed of approximately 78km/h and continued driving for around three kilometers before parking her vehicle in Epping Street, Malvern,” where she called her housemate and her boyfriend, telling them she was “scared.” And I did not know what to do”. do’.
The judge said Agrawal’s dangerous driving was not due to a lack of attention, but rather an “error of judgement” when he decided to overtake the tram before it stopped.
He rejected the defense lawyer’s request for a community corrections order and instead agreed with prosecutors that a custodial sentence was required.
Sakshi Agrawal (pictured being questioned by police) initially fled the scene of the collision but returned two hours later.
The P-plater pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing serious injury and failing to stop at the Victoria County Court, just days before her trial over the early morning crash on Wattletree Road (pictured) in the suburb of Armadale was due to begin. Melbourne.
“The courts need to send a message to other drivers, especially young people like you,” he said.
Agrawal, who was fired from her security job because of her crimes, had hoped to become a permanent resident in Australia.
But now he faces deportation when he has served his prison sentence.
His driver’s license was canceled and he was prohibited from obtaining another one for four years.