Woman charged in e-scooter crash that killed Australian

Woman charged in e-scooter crash that killed Australian

A British woman, Alicia Kemp, has been charged in Australia in connection with the death of Thanh Phan, a 51-year-old man, who was hit by an e-scooter she was riding after a night of drinking in Perth city center on May 31. Prosecutors stated that Kemp hit Phan from behind at speeds of 20-25km/h (12-15mph), causing him to hit his head. Phan passed away two days later. Kemp faces a charge of death by dangerous driving while under the influence, which carries a maximum prison term of 20 years.

During a court hearing, it was alleged that Kemp, from Redditch, had been drinking with a friend before both boarded the same e-scooter. She was denied bail and is scheduled to appear in court again on July 15. Perth authorities have suspended the hiring of e-scooters in the city following Phan's death.

Prosecutors informed the Perth Magistrates' Court that CCTV footage showed Kemp's dangerous driving behavior, evasive actions by others, and the moment of collision with Phan as he was waiting to cross the road. Kemp was denied bail due to being considered a "flight risk" as she was in Australia on a working holiday visa.

Kemp faces an additional charge of dangerous driving occasioning bodily harm while under the influence for injuries sustained by her passenger, who suffered a fractured skull and broken nose after being thrown from the e-scooter. Kemp's blood alcohol content level was reported to be 0.158 when the incident occurred, well above the legal limit of 0.05 in Australia.

Phan's family described him as a beloved husband, father, brother, and friend in a statement. He worked as a structural engineer and had lived in Sydney, Vietnam, and Singapore. The family called for a review of safety regulations regarding the use of hire e-scooters to prevent similar incidents. Perth's city council has suspended the use of hire e-scooters, with authorities removing the vehicles from the streets. Western Australia's police minister is also reviewing e-scooter regulations.

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