A 34-year-old Perth man has been sentenced to more than two years' jail over what has been described as a "catastrophic" car crash that claimed the life of his three-year-old son.
Michael Brian Newman pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing the death of his son Dre in May, 2012.
The crash, in Caversham, happened just weeks after he bought a car and paid $200 for a modification which led to the wheels losing traction with the road and the car hitting a tree.
District Court Judge John Wisbey said it was difficult to imagine a greater calamity for a parent, than to cause the death of their child, but a jail term was needed to deter others.
Newman sobbed in the dock as Judge Wisbey sentenced him to 28 months jail.
He will have to serve 14 months before he can be released on parole.
Sergeant John Smith from WA Police's major crash squad said he hoped the case would serve as a warning to others.
"People out there who are considering making any modifications to their vehicles [should] have a good look, understand exactly what the modifications will do your vehicle, and what those consequences of those modifications will result in," he said.
"This has wrecked two complete families."
donn ·
What sort of a 200$ mod would make such a difference to a car that would cause such an event that would land you with a gaol sentence?
vlad01 ·
my guess is spooling/welding the diff.
absolute joke of a mod, makes the car very hard to control at the best of times, only said benefit is so you can do burnouts with both wheels spinning. 🙄
bugzla ·
A hyclone everybody knows they are the best bang for buck mod hahhahahahahhahahhahahhahahhaha
reub ·
So how many street driven volksies run dropped spindles, after market disc brakes, adjustable front ends, narrowed beams, undisclosed capacities, etc etc... And how many are engineered/approved by authorities for legal use?
All food for thought.
I'm sure there is plenty of opinion on this topic, but the 'what if' still exists 😉
vwo60 ·
There are many opinions on this forum with a lot of people thinking that it never will happen to them but the potential is there all the time, I posted this story because it was a major news item in Perth this week when I was there for training, the problem is that the authorities will clamp down on all modifications not just the illegal ones, I think a lot of people have no idea but the responsibility is there's alone, I get shouted down because I do not like narrowed beams and is one modification that cannot be approved, I have taken the time and effort the engineer all my modifications so I can insure the vehicles and have coverage that will at least give me some form of financial protection.
HappyDaze ·
That is an absolute tragedy....I connot imagine how it would feel to be responsible for the death of your own son !
Perhaps the $200 would have been better spent on advanced driving lessons?
Vlad, I have a 'spool' in No. 8 Beetle.....it's not that "hard to control", and I don't need to "do burnouts". 🙅
EDIT:- In case anyone doesn't know, No. 8 Beetle is STRICTLY A TRACK RACE CAR ❗
Bizarre ·
donn wrote:What sort of a 200$ mod would make such a difference to a car that would cause such an event that would land you with a gaol sentence?
Newman organised for a $200 modification to it which locked the back tyres,
The court heard a $200 modification to the Holden Commodore, which caused both rear wheels to turn at the same speed, made the car unroadworthy and dangerous.
Newman changed from third to second gear and then accelerated, causing the rear wheels to lose traction with the road and spin before hitting the tree, the court heard
Who does that with their three year old son in the car?
Says more about the driver than the modification.
Interestingly, I had a conversation with a potential customer in Hawaii a few weeks ago. He had a certain amount of budget to buy a turbo Subarugears transaxle to fit to his EJ22 turbo powered beetle (already a rocketship as you can imagine).
He wanted an LSD but didn't have the extra $650 to spring for the torsen LSD that locks and unlocks smoothly when the rear wheels try to break traction. So he asked me if I could fit a locking spool to the transaxle instead.
I told him it was open diff or LSD or nothing. No locking spools for street cars. I did it once, a long time ago in my RX3 - never again. Particularly uncontrollable in the wet.
vlad01 ·
HappyDaze wrote:That is an absolute tragedy....I connot imagine how it would feel to be responsible for the death of your own son !
Perhaps the $200 would have been better spent on advanced driving lessons?
Vlad, I have a 'spool' in No. 8 Beetle.....it's not that "hard to control", and I don't need to "do burnouts". 🙅
EDIT:- In case anyone doesn't know, No. 8 Beetle is STRICTLY A TRACK RACE CAR ❗
for a day to day driving car, spool is the worst thing ever. for a racing car they can be advantageous? in rear engine application?
spool in a front engine rwd car is nasty, constantly fighting front/rear traction, over/under steer bias.
which ever axle has more traction wins in the fight.
reason I say burnouts because>
"yee, I got fully sik spool bro!, can do twin lines now! beta than the ol pegga!"
😂 shit I hear all the time when people spool their diff or weld it. then you see them loose it around a turn and mount the curb 🙅
vlad01 ·
Subarugears wrote:Who does that with their three year old son in the car?
Says more about the driver than the modification.
Interestingly, I had a conversation with a potential customer in Hawaii a few weeks ago. He had a certain amount of budget to buy a turbo Subarugears transaxle to fit to his EJ22 turbo powered beetle (already a rocketship as you can imagine).
He wanted an LSD but didn't have the extra $650 to spring for the torsen LSD that locks and unlocks smoothly when the rear wheels try to break traction. So he asked me if I could fit a locking spool to the transaxle instead.
I told him it was open diff or LSD or nothing. No locking spools for street cars. I did it once, a long time ago in my RX3 - never again. Particularly uncontrollable in the wet.
I see you had the same experience. I personally never spooled one my self but driven a customer's car one that did, not knowing what spooling was then the car behaved funny just slowly driving it in and around the workshop and around on the road. been in the passenger seat of a vl that was spooled. scary shit! and that was on sealed dry road too.
vlad01 ·
Bizarre wrote:
donn wrote:What sort of a 200$ mod would make such a difference to a car that would cause such an event that would land you with a gaol sentence?
Newman organised for a $200 modification to it which locked the back tyres,
The court heard a $200 modification to the Holden Commodore, which caused both rear wheels to turn at the same speed, made the car unroadworthy and dangerous.
Newman changed from third to second gear and then accelerated, causing the rear wheels to lose traction with the road and spin before hitting the tree, the court heard
nailed that one pretty good! thought $200? lost control? got to be a spooled diff, likely falcon or holden 😂
vwo60 ·
All the rebels without a clue on this forum should take notice, it cost his sons life because of an illegal modification. he has to live with that for the rest of his life.
HappyDaze ·
vlad01 wrote:nailed that one pretty good! thought $200? lost control? got to be a spooled diff, likely falcon or holden 😂
I think I've got a pretty good sense of humour, but there is absolutely nothing remotely funny about a 3 year old kid being killed !
vlad01 ·
why does everyone always refer back to kids with everything. is this some sort of a defense thing?
I never said anything about the kid. I found it amusing that i got it in the first go with no info other than the price and loosing control.
pfillery ·
I think it is a timely wake up call for a lot of people.
I had a look at a mid 60s beetle a year or so ago, had come up from VIC to QLD, was almost completed and up for sale. Had dropped and narrowed adjustable front beam, dropped adjustable rear spring plates, IRS conversion, Porsche disc conversion with Porsche wheels all round, rear discs, scat or similar aftermarket seats. Many of those mods are illegal for road use, many others need an engineering inspection. He assured me a roadworthy guy who had inspected it had told him it was all fine and would pass. The only thing was the wipers didn't work. When I talked to the transport compliance guys they said that most of the mods were a no no and that a common tactic was to pull a wire from something and use the "everything works but xxx needs fixing" as an excuse for the unwary. Funny that when the car got sold a year beforehand in VIC the same story was there re the wipers. Not exactly a hard fix.
Now if a roadworthy inspector did actually look and pass it, that is a real concern. Granted not everyone would spot a mod but isn't that kind of knowledge part of the job?
Although in QLD now, any car which passed that subsequently fails in a 2 month window, the full legal and financial burden of blame falls on the roadworthy inspector. They would be up for the cost of making it roadworthy.
LUFTMEISTER ·
So what are we saying here? All the children that died in unmodified cars are not really important? Any loss of life is sad & traumatic. All life is precious, but death is at our shoulder every day. Tomorrow is promised to NO one. (Including the insured & certified.) The driver of the car made tbe decesion to modify his car & is now paying the high price. Using emotional issues in a debate, means you have a poor set of facts backing your point of issue. Lets stick to VW modifed car accidents hey. My2c
helbus ·
All modifications requiring engineers approval on cars at our house are all done with engineers approval and appropriate paperwork.
Mildoval56 ·
I would like to hear from people who have undertaken to get engineering approval for some of the common mods for VW's such as narrowed beams and drop spindles etc. What sort of time and cost is involved? Are the rgulations consistent between states etc.?
hulbyw ·
Unfortunately, no the regulations are not consistent between states.
Cheers....Wayne
karmann141 ·
When I took my L Bug for its Safety Certificate (Qld Roadworthy) inspection so that I could register it, the inspecting officer did not pick up that it had ventilated disc all round. He just commented that he had never driven a Beetle that braked so well.
I then told him it had complete front hubs and rear trailing arms from a Porsche 944, using all factory Porsche parts which are interchangeable for 1303 Beetle parts.
Even though the braking was far superior and he couldn’t pick the non VW parts, he would not issue the roadworthy certificate without it being inspected by an engineer and blue plated.
Even though I was pretty cheesed off at the time and a few more hundred dollars out of pocket – but I get it – modifications have to be safe, which unfortunately some people just don’t get.
vwo60 ·
Luftmister, there is no emotion in the article I posted just the outcome of an illegal modification, it is irrelevant what car it is, the out come can be the same with any vehicle as the potential remains there all the time. In this case he just happened to kill his son.
pfillery ·
karmann141 wrote:When I took my L Bug for its Safety Certificate (Qld Roadworthy) inspection so that I could register it, the inspecting officer did not pick up that it had ventilated disc all round. He just commented that he had never driven a Beetle that braked so well.
I then told him it had complete front hubs and rear trailing arms from a Porsche 944, using all factory Porsche parts which are interchangeable for 1303 Beetle parts.
Even though the braking was far superior and he couldn’t pick the non VW parts, he would not issue the roadworthy certificate without it being inspected by an engineer and blue plated.
Even though I was pretty cheesed off at the time and a few more hundred dollars out of pocket – but I get it – modifications have to be safe, which unfortunately some people just don’t get.
Interchangeable but obviously different enough to be an issue.
If you had not said it had Porsche parts and it had been passed, if you subsequently had an accident that resulted in a loss of life or serious injury, the forensics guys go over it and find illegal mods, you are stuffed.
Worst case I know but better in the long run.
The way things are I'm surprised there is so much they let you do with no mod plate or engineering like fitting body kits, spoilers, mags etc. since wrongly fitted wheels are a big danger. I've seen "almost right" alloys dremelled out so the studs will fit.
pfillery ·
Mildoval56 wrote:I would like to hear from people who have undertaken to get engineering approval for some of the common mods for VW's such as narrowed beams and drop spindles etc. What sort of time and cost is involved? Are the rgulations consistent between states etc.?
I'm not sure either is road legal in qld with or without engineering.
vwo60 ·
With the right engineer you can have the dropped spindles certified, after they have been tested, as for the narrowed beam main roads engineer in Queensland told me outright it is an illegal modification
petemart ·
I'm not really sure what the point of this post is?
Are you really trying to say that the 90% of this and all the other VW forums that drive cars with modifications are the same as a guy who bought a Commadore, got his diff welded, then tried to do a burnout and accidently killed his child?
I doubt anyone on here would try and do a burnout with our kids in the car and shame on you for saying it's our own fault if god forbid one of us has an accident and one our children are injurd or killed.
Is this just a roundabout way to get another post in about narrow beams?
I've driven completely stock VW's that are far more dangerous at 110km/hr on the highway than ones that have big brakes, dropped spindles and or narrow beams.
tassupervee ·
The outcome was a result of the drivers actions.
This wasnt a simple loop on a wet roundabout or a straight on plough into a guard rail at 25Kph which is often the case with a locked up diff.
He chucked a skid from second to third so its fair to say he was getting onto it speed-wise, hooning his arse off, lost control and found a tree with a rather sudden stop.
Lets say he fitted a replacement and stock LSD rather than the afformentioned locked diff. The outcome would still be the same with asudden stop and lifeless child.
However since its actually NOT a modification, would things be any different judicially and media wise if the car had had a double pegger fitted stock? I think so.
Its like blaming guns for death. Guns dont kill people, people kiill people.
So for the police spokesman to blythelly imply a "200 dollar modification" results in death and destruction rather than taking clear and direct aim at the idiotic descision the driver made at the time is just typical opportunistic law enforcement verbal diahorreah designed to extract the most sympathy from the greater public.
The whole story presented isnt clear at all.
Im guessing this guy jailed has a mighty long list of priors to recieve that kind of sentence regardless of any modifications and that bolloockery from the police spokesman is just opportunistic blather.
E
shokwave2 ·
The point of this post is that someone got pee'd off in another forum topic because the discussion on narrowed beams and lowered VW's wasn't going his way. So they've posted this story to show that a modified car has killed someone, to try and prove their point that you shouldn't modify a car. Even though more people are killed in factory built stock cars, old and new, everyday. Waste of a topic.
As tassupervee said, the outcome was a result of the drivers actions. Probably a typical hoon wanting to do sick burnouts in front of his mates, but instead put his foot down with a child in the car. As others have said, tomorrow is promised to no one. You could be driving your legally stock/modified, engineer approved car down a street and be T-boned by someone and be killed.
vwo60 ·
Nothing to do with narrowed beams but the inability of people who carry out these type of unapproved type of modifications are in denial about the potential outcome.
bugmaniaar ·
🙄
joesbuell ·
All about narrowed beams yet again! Fair F@&king dinkum!!! find something else to talk about FFS!!!
kombibob ·
Didn't someone on here running a narrowed beam just win the over 2ltr class track racing down Valla way?? 😉
DakDak67 ·
kombibob wrote:Didn't someone on here running a narrowed beam just win the over 2ltr class track racing down Valla way?? 😉
😂😂😂😂😂 yup.
77dual ·
.
vwo60 ·
Absolutely nothing to do with narrowed beams, just the outcome of an illegal modification.
LUFTMEISTER ·
I am sure all those people that died in their fully approved, engineer designed new Toyotas that drove off into the scenery flat out and sparking the biggest automotive recall and lawsuit and statutory fine in history, would be comforted by your concerns. Lets hope their insurance was up to date. My2c
roverv8bay ·
Come on fellas. Lets not turn this into another shitfight slanging match about bloody narrowed beams. it's about a child dying because of a shoddy modification. to quote my 6 year old granddaughter when voices are raised (settle gretal). this is for discussion not fighting the pro's & con's of the beam so beam me up scotty. RIP Robyn Williams
ernie
1303Steve ·
Hi
I sometimes drive a car on the street that runs a spool, with a small amount of care going into tight roundabouts and having to keep power on when going into driveways etc otherwise the car will stop, I find there's not much to worry about.
I personally know 20 odd people running spools on the street, all of these people don't go crashing into the scenery unless they are driving like dicks.
But in the wrong hands they can have lethal results, as can a bog standard car. We will never know if the locked diff caused 100% of this tragedy but from the report quoted the driver was an accident looking for a location and sadly a life was lost.
Steve
1303Steve ·
Hi
I sometimes drive a car on the street that runs a spool, with a small amount of care going into tight roundabouts and having to keep power on when going into driveways etc otherwise the car will stop, I find there's not much to worry about.
I personally know 20 odd people running spools on the street, all of these people don't go crashing into the scenery unless they are driving like dicks.
But in the wrong hands they can have lethal results, as can a bog standard car. We will never know if the locked diff caused 100% of this tragedy but from the report quoted the driver was an accident looking for a location and sadly a life was lost.
Steve
bugmaniaar ·
Theres a time and a place for dropping down a gear and tramping it......not with kids though.driver attitude is everything.
That said i have no concernes driving my 63 beetle with adjustable beam, drop spindles and disk brake conversion with my son in the passenger seat.
another 2cents worth
helbus ·
Today, we mourn the passing of an old friend by the name of Common Sense.
Common Sense lived a long life, but died from heart failure at the brink of the Millennium. No one really knows how old he was since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape. He selflessly devoted his life to service in schools; hospitals, homes, factories and offices, helping folks get jobs done without fanfare and foolishness.
For decades, petty rules, silly laws and frivolous lawsuits held no power over Common Sense. He was credited with cultivating such valued lessons as to know when to come in from rain, the early bird gets the worm and life isn't always fair.
Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more than you earn), reliable parenting strategies (the adults are in charge, not the kids), and it's okay to come in second.
A veteran of the Industrial Revolution, the Great Depression, and the Technological Revolution, Common Sense survived cultural and educational trends including feminism, body piercing, whole language and new math.
But his health declined when he became infected with the "if-it-only-helps-one-person-it's-worth-it" virus. In recent decades, his waning strength proved no match for the ravages of overbearing federal legislation.
He watched in pain as good people became ruled by self-seeking lawyers and enlightened auditors. His health rapidly deteriorated when schools endlessly implemented zero tolerance policies; when reports were heard of six year old boys charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; when a teen was suspended for taking a swig of mouthwash after lunch; when a teacher was fired for reprimanding an unruly student. It declined even further when schools had to get parental consent to administer aspirin to a student but couldn't inform the parent when a female student is pregnant or wants an abortion.
Finally, Common Sense lost his will to live as the Ten Commandments became contraband, churches became businesses, criminals received better treatment than victims, and federal judges stuck their noses in everything from Boy Scouts to professional sports.
As the end neared, Common Sense drifted in and out of logic but was kept informed of developments, regarding questionable regulations for asbestos, low-flow toilets, smart guns, the nurturing of Prohibition Laws and mandatory air bags.
Finally, when told that the homeowners association restricted exterior furniture only to that which enhanced property values, he breathed his last.
Common Sense was preceded in death by his parents Truth and Trust; his wife, Discretion; his daughter, Responsibility; and his son Reason. His three stepbrothers survive him: Rights, Tolerance and Whiner.
Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone.
stoker ·
helbus, truer words were never spoken
HappyDaze ·
Pete, you should be Prime Minister !!!!!👍
modnrod ·
x lots Pete.
matberry ·
Helbus, you hit the nail
DakDak67 ·
Yawn...
vlad01 ·
HappyDaze wrote:Pete, you should be Prime Minister !!!!!👍
+1
vwo60 ·
hellbus, I like your analogy, is meant for the people who lack common sense who make the illegal modifications to there cars without any thought for the implications, or is meant for the people who lack common sense who force the authorities to make the rules we currently have because of the illegal modifications.
kombibob ·
No I think it is meant for the people who put ugly wheels on their cars?
I'm thinking of buying one of these things as I can only narrow the front end of my bus so much!
What do you think vwo60?
ragged ·
You should always take your car to a professional🙅
pfillery ·
Can someone tell me what the actual purpose of narrowing a front beam is? What does it actually gain you? I genuinely want to know because I can understand nice wheels, a body kit, bigger motor etc, but altering the front track of a car seems odd. What does it actually change performance wise?
HappyDaze ·
I am amazed that the emphasis seems to be on "modified cars".......what about stupid, incompetent people, for goodness sake ?
A stupid, incompetent driver can kill or maime a large number of people in a BOG-STANDARD car. On the other hand, a reasonably intelligent, skilled driver [after satisfying him/her self that the car is safe to do so] could drive a highly-modified car without causing any danger to anyone.
Problem is.....it is easy enough to legislate against vehicle modifications, but how do you legislate against stupdity, incompetence, etc.??????????
My 8 cents worth.
DakDak67 ·
ragged wrote:You should always take your car to a professional🙅
😂😂 , He does stress the fact that this is just a demo . And he has mounted them on his car... ahem.
LUFTMEISTER ·
Narrow beams are not a performance mod they are an enhancement. In layman terms its like seeing a beatiful woman in clogs or high heels. Both are foot wear, but one enhances & one does not. We can't all wear flat sole shoes I guess (even if they are safer) My2c
roverv8bay ·
Good morning all. what is the whole stretched tyre thing if you don't want wide tyres don't fit wide rims. what would be the legal implication's on a tyre company with insurance claims against it for fitting them
ernie
roverv8bay ·
G'day all does this belong in this thread
ernie
Craig Torrens ·
^^ that needs to go a tad lower 👍😂😂
kombibob ·
Looks like a standard width beam, so don't think vwo60 will have a problem with it 😉
LUFTMEISTER ·
Its the roads fault.🙄
Boozo ·
wow this old chessnut again. Once again Hellbus brings out the entertainment, while sounding smart. nice work man 🙂
and the grumpy old men get grumpier. I hear complaints about modifications, when the big Issue I see in the old car world is a lack of general maintenance and replacing things before they break. My 68 had a whole lot more dangerous issues when I bought it than a welded diff.
If a bogan in a commo welds his diff (cant even do that himself and pays someone $200) and kills his son.....that sucks for the son, but a typical commo driver thing to do. He propably would have done the same without the welded diff. Everyone is Peter Brock in a commo......and look where that got him??
VW060. I bet you still have many illegal and DANGEROUS!! mods on your car.
vlad01 ·
Boozo wrote:wow this old chessnut again. Once again Hellbus brings out the entertainment, while sounding smart. nice work man 🙂
and the grumpy old men get grumpier. I hear complaints about modifications, when the big Issue I see in the old car world is a lack of general maintenance and replacing things before they break. My 68 had a whole lot more dangerous issues when I bought it than a welded diff.
If a bogan in a commo welds his diff (cant even do that himself and pays someone $200) and kills his son.....that sucks for the son, but a typical commo driver thing to do. He propably would have done the same without the welded diff. Everyone is Peter Brock in a commo......and look where that got him??
VW060. I bet you still have many illegal and DANGEROUS!! mods on your car.