Young driver jailed after crash kills two passengers in South Australia

 

A young man has been sentenced to prison after a crash in South Australia claimed the lives of two passengers travelling in his car.

 

The District Court of South Australia sentenced 25-year-old Seth Adrian Rigney to three years and eight months in prison after he pleaded guilty to two counts of causing death by dangerous driving and one count of causing serious harm.

 

According to 9News, the fatal crash occurred in February 2024 near Korunye, north of Adelaide, when Rigney drove through a stop sign at a rural intersection and collided with an oncoming school bus.

 

Two passengers travelling in his car were killed in the collision. His 23-year-old girlfriend, Chloe Glasson, died at the scene, while 19-year-old Shakeena Abdulla later died in hospital from injuries sustained in the crash, reported by 9News.

 

The court heard that Rigney ignored several warning signs before entering the intersection where the bus struck the side of his vehicle. According to 9News, the bus driver survived the crash but suffered serious injuries and later experienced post-traumatic stress as a result of the incident.

 

During sentencing, the court was told that Rigney had been travelling at about 86 kilometres per hour as he approached the intersection and failed to stop despite the presence of traffic signs. Judge Paul Muscat said the incident was not merely a tragic accident but the result of dangerous driving decisions, as reported by 9News.

 

Rigney will be eligible for parole after serving two years and seven months of his sentence and has also been disqualified from driving for 13 years, according to 9News.

 

Family members of the victims attended the sentencing hearing wearing baby blue, the favourite colour of Chloe Glasson, as a tribute to her memory.

 

The case has once again highlighted concerns about road safety and the importance of obeying traffic signs, particularly at rural intersections where high-speed collisions can have deadly consequences.