A DRUNKEN teen driver who hit and killed a pedestrian at Port Douglas drove away because he feared he would go to jail, a court has heard.

William Peter Mackay, 19, has not entered a plea to charges of manslaughter and dangerous driving while adversely affected by alcohol.

Korean tourist Bulce Hyeon Jung Lee, 25, was killed when she was struck by a four-wheel-drive on Wharf St around 2.30am on June 30 last year.

Ten hours later, Mr Mackay admitted to police he had been driving the vehicle that night and had "felt a bump" as he drove along Wharf St.

In a police interview played yesterday during the first day of a committal hearing in Cairns Magistrates’ Court, Mr Mackay said he had not been able to see anything at the time of the accident except some colour and he said he had "freaked out".

"I must have… I hit that girl," he told police.

"I was scared and I just wanted to get away."

He told Det Sen-Constable Leo Lahey that he had drunk a number of schooners of beer to celebrate a friend's 18th
birthday.

He said he was "very drunk" and agreed his co-ordination "wouldn’t have been too good".

"I was swaying … I was pretty intoxicated," he said on the tape.

Mr Mackay told police he could hardly see through the foggy windscreen and it was "very dangerous". The P-plate driver had moved to Port Douglas from Melbourne only three months earlier and had just six months' driving experience.

After the accident, he drove to the Sea Temple resort and dumped the Range Rover before running home along the beach.

The next morning, his father phoned Mr Mackay after hearing about the hit-run on the radio.

When Mr Mackay admitted he had been driving the vehicle, his father phoned the police.

The court heard that Mr Mackay initially told police he could not remember if anyone else was in the car at the time of the collision.

Within an hour, another teenager came forward and told Smithfield detectives he had been a passenger in the car.

Defence barrister Anthony Glynn suggested it was unusual the eyewitness took so long to come forward.

But Det Sen-Constable Nathan Porter told the court the man was "quite distressed" and had sought advice from friends and family before speaking to police.

The hearing continues today.

Share this article