Copping crash: Storm Cecilia Tientjes on drugs, tired before crash in Tasmania that killed tourist Shadari Athrey
A young woman had been on drugs and ‘not sleeping’ before driving an unregistered Toyota into the path of an oncoming car, killing a woman on holiday with her husband.
Storm Cecilia Tientjes, 29, has pleaded guilty to causing death by negligent driving over the crash on a highway near Copping in Tasmania’s south-east on the morning of Good Friday 2023.
Tientjes, who has never had a driver’s license, lied to police when questioned at the scene, saying a man named Sam had been behind the wheel and had run away.
She had recorded herself on her phone earlier in the journey as she swerved on the gravel edge of the road.
Tientjes crossed the wrong side of the highway and collided with a car driven by Rishab Jaiswal, who tried to avoid it.
Storm Cecilia Tientjes, 29, (pictured) has pleaded guilty to causing death by negligent driving
The court heard Tientjes (pictured) took drugs and ‘wasn’t sleeping’ before driving an unregistered Toyota into the path of an oncoming car on the morning of Good Friday 2023.
Mr Jaiswal’s wife, Shadari Athrey, was thrown from the car and died at the scene.
The couple, who had been married for just over a year, had traveled from Queensland and arrived in Tasmania the day before.
“The impact on Mr Jaiswal has been devastating,” Attorney-General Mick Allen told the Supreme Court of Tasmania on Wednesday.
Tientjes, who was in the car with her friend and their young child, suffered a minor injury to her right thumb. The child was not injured.
Mr Allen said Tientjes’ guilt was extremely high because she knew she had not slept, was extremely tired and had taken drugs shortly before driving.
“There is clear evidence that she drove recklessly during an early part of the same journey,” he said.
‘It is not a standalone form of driving. All road users in that area were exposed to the risk.’
Tientjes and her friend had spent the night before the crash with a fisherman on a boat moored at a nearby jetty.
The Supreme Court of Tasmania (pictured) heard harrowing new details about the fatal crash
A man who saw her drive away on the morning of Good Friday told police that “her eyes were glassy as if she was out of her mind.”
Tientjes, who has a previous driving conviction, also pleaded guilty Wednesday to numerous other charges related to the crash.
She admitted having illegal drugs, including methylamphetamine, in her system while driving, reckless driving and possessing a hookah and a glass pipe.
She also pleaded guilty to smoking in a car with a child present, driving without a licence, changing a license plate and using an unregistered car.
Her sentencing hearing is expected to resume on June 20.
