Bryce Driden acquitted in Australia over spectator’s death — ABC News Australia

A jury in Australia has acquitted 29-year-old Bryce Driden in a case concerning a fatal road crash during the LOO5ENATS car event in the town of Stawell, Victoria. ABC News reports that the man was found not guilty of two charges: culpable driving causing death and dangerous driving causing death.

Death of a spectator

The crash occurred on November 4, 2023, at the Stawell Motor Sports Club during burnout and drift competitions. Eighteen-year-old Trent DeZoete from Pimpinio was a spectator at the event. He died after being struck by the car Driden was driving in the competition.

The court heard that shortly after 4:00 p.m., DeZoete and a friend were walking from the grandstand to the food truck area when he was struck by the car.

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The parties’ positions in court

The prosecution stated that a “spontaneous mechanical failure” occurred in Driden’s car during the competition. According to the prosecution, instead of remaining within the arena, the driver made an unjustified decision to leave the burnout area and drive towards where spectators were located.

The prosecution also alleged that methamphetamine was present in Driden’s system, which could have made him overly confident and impaired his ability to make decisions.

The defence insisted that the crash itself did not mean a serious criminal offence had been committed. The lawyers noted that the law does not require a driver to act flawlessly in a situation where decisions must be made within seconds.