Indian student driver runs over athlete in Melbourne
October 1st, 2008 - 7:05 pm ICT by IANSSydney, Oct 1 (IANS) One student was killed and another was seriously injured in Melbourne’s Southbank Wednesday when an Indian teenager, with a learner driving licence, drunk and overspeeding, lost control of his car and hit them.Puneet Puneet, 19, was driving at 150 km/hour in a 60 km/hour zone and had a blood alcohol level three times over the limit, when he lost control of the car and crashed into two students, who were in Melbourne for the Australian University Games.
The nursing student and athlete from Queensland’s Griffith University, 19-year-old Dean Byron Hofstee, and his 20-year-old friend Clancy Coker were standing outside their hotel on the footpath at 1 a.m., when the Indian student’s car ploughed into them, killing Hofstee and seriously injuring Coker.
Coker is said to be in a serious but stable condition at the Alfred Hospital after suffering head injuries, fractures to his leg and possible fractures to his pelvis.
The Indian student, who has been in Australia for the past 18 months, Wednesday appeared in Melbourne Magistrate’s Court on charges of culpable driving and was granted bail on stringent conditions which include not driving a car, surrendering his passport and reporting to police five days a week.
He will reappear in court on Jan 21 next year.
A 23-year-old male passenger in the car also sustained serious injuries and was taken to Royal Melbourne Hospital.
- Melbourne Police launch manhunt for Indian killer, ready to come to India - Aug 21, 2009
- Warrant for Indian student who ran over man in Australia - Aug 20, 2009
- Fugitive Indian student partied before fleeing Australia - Oct 14, 2009
- Indian student's extradition for car crash probe not a priority: Victoria Premier - Sep 29, 2009
- Australian Sikh charged with selling passport to help an accused Indian to flee - Oct 13, 2009
- Singh apologises to Oz family for helping killer driver flee to India - Feb 18, 2011
- Singh to stand trial for helping killer driver flee Australia - Apr 30, 2010
- Gillard says Australia, India could consider extradition treaty during her visit - Aug 22, 2009
- Australian police vow to nab student who fled to India - Aug 21, 2009
- Oz attacker says "Indian dog" slur against Indian student in Melbourne was not racist - Oct 21, 2010
- Delhi's killer roads: Recalling some major accidents - Feb 20, 2012
- Aussie man charged with drink-driving en route to driving test! - Feb 14, 2011
- 'Ethnicity most likely to have cash' belief behind Indian student's attack, Oz court told - Jul 14, 2010
- Schoolboy runs over four students - Sep 05, 2011
- Oz man avoids jail on race-hate charges for bashing Indian student in Melbourne - Nov 05, 2010
Tags: alfred hospital, australian university games, blood alcohol level, coker, culpable driving, griffith university, royal melbourne hospital, southbank, stable condition, stringent conditions
