Daylesford crash: Driver charged over collision that killed five after SUV ploughed into a pub beer garden

By Max Aitchison For Daily Mail Australia[1] and Australian Associated Press[2]

Published: 00:37, 11 December 2023 | Updated: 03:15, 11 December 2023

A man charged with killing five people after a car rammed into a pub beer garden is accused of ignoring repeated alerts to treat his low glucose levels for more than 50 minutes before the crash.

William Swale, 66, was charged with five counts of culpable driving causing death, two counts of negligently causing serious injury and seven counts of reckless conduct endangering life.

Emergency services were called to reports an SUV mounted the kerb and hit several patrons on the front lawn area of the Royal Daylesford Hotel just after 6pm on November 5.

Pratibha Sharma, 44, her daughter Anvi, 9, and partner Jatin Kumar, 30, and their friend Vivek Bhatia, 38, and his son Vihaan, 11, all died.

A man charged with killing five people after a car rammed into a pub beer garden is accused of ignoring repeated alerts to treat his low glucose levels for more than 50 minutes before the crash

William Swale, 66, was charged with five counts of culpable driving causing death, two counts of negligently causing serious injury and seven counts of reckless conduct endangering life

The Mount Macedon man appeared in Melbournes Magistrate Court via video link from a police station on Monday.

In his summary to the court, Sergeant Peter Romanis said Swale had been returning from a clay shooting tournament in Clunes when he stopped in Daylesford.

Swale, who was diagnosed with diabetes in 1994, scanned his blood glucose levels at 5.17pm which returned a low reading and an alarm sounded one minute later indicating he should check his levels.

CCTV footage showed him entering a restaurant opposite the pub a few minutes later asking for a table but returned to his car as there were none available.

Swale was then seen on CCTV at 5.42pm driving his car around the area before it crashed into the pub patrons about 6pm.

Mr Romanis recounted first responders finding the 66-year-old in his car sweaty, hot and clammy, and unable to effectively communicate.

Vihaan Bhatia (bottom right) and his father Vivek (top left) were killed in the crash while mother Ruchi Bhatia (top right) and brother Abeer (bottom left) were treated in hospital

Pratibha Sharma (right) and her nine-year-old daughter Anvi (left) were killed in the crash alongside Ms Sharma's partner, Jatin Chugh

His defence lawyer said his client often monitored his glucose levels and put to the informant the possibility that Swale was already in the midst of medical episode after being alerted by his app, leaving him unable to recognise the alert.

Swale had been approved for a conditional driver's licence for two years in the months before the crash with a medical report handed to VicRoads stating his condition was well controlled.

Mr Bhatia's wife, a 36-year-old woman, and his other son, aged six, were injured and taken to hospital, and have since been released.

A 43-year-old Kyneton woman, a 38-year-old Cockatoo man and an 11-month-old baby boy were taken to hospital and have been discharged.

Swale was remanded in police custody until his bail hearing on Friday.

References

1. ^ Max Aitchison For Daily Mail Australia (www.dailymail.co.uk)
2. ^ Australian Associated Press (www.dailymail.co.uk)