Woman spared jail time over crash that injured Greens MP Amy MacMahon
Share this @internewscast.com

A woman will not spend any time behind bars after she sped through a red light while drunk before crashing into a then-Greens MP.

Rani Paige Lowry, 27, was charged over the collision that seriously injured Amy MacMahon in Kangaroo Point on February 12, 2024.

Lowry was driving at 90km/h in a 60km/h zone around sunset on a Monday evening when she ran a red light at an intersection.

Greens MP Amy MacMahon was rushed to hospital after a Hyundai i30 collided with her Toyota Prius in the Brisbane suburb of Kangaroo Point on February 12, 2024. (9News)

As MacMahon started driving when the light turned green, Lowry ploughed into her car.

CCTV showed the state MP’s vehicle slide 180 degrees near where a pedestrian was about to cross the road, while Lowry’s car skidded 60 metres south.

Lowry watched the CCTV footage played to Brisbane District Court today, wiping her eyes and sniffling as she broke down in tears.

Rani Paige Lowry has avoided jail over the crash.
Rani Paige Lowry has avoided jail over the crash. (AAP)
Both Lowry and MacMahon were taken to hospital. (9News)

Data showed Lowry’s car accelerated five seconds before the crash and did not apply the brakes as she hit MacMahon’s at 83km/h.

Both were taken to the hospital, where MacMahon was in a coma for some time, suffering a traumatic brain injury and damage to her carotid artery. 

Judge David Kent said it is a miracle of modern engineering that no one was killed.

Lowry returned a blood alcohol reading of 0.186, which is more than three times the legal limit.

South Brisbane Greens MP Amy MacMahon
South Brisbane Greens MP Amy MacMahon outside her state electorate office in 2023. (Matt Dennien)

MacMahon was in hospital for two weeks and underwent treatment for six months.

Although MacMahon sustained severe injuries, she did not appear in court and requested through her victim impact statement that Lowry avoid jail time. Instead, she emphasized the need for Lowry to undergo rehabilitation to prevent a recurrence.

She even offered to help Lowry find community work for her rehabilitation.

Judge Kent commended the “compassion and emotional maturity” of MacMahon’s statement.

The court was told Lowry’s father had been killed in a car crash years earlier. 

Lowry had fallen back into her longstanding struggle with alcohol dependence due to childhood trauma compounded by the recent passing of her brother, her lawyer, Jack Kennedy, explained to the court.

On the day of the accident, Lowry had been at a venue with friends seeking emotional support but ended up drinking excessively before departing and causing the collision.

She had expressed extreme remorse since the incident, suffering such shame and guilt that she considered ending her own life, Kennedy said.

Lowry wrote a letter to MacMahon to apologise for the crash and wanted to see the former MP in person to express her remorse.

Lowry pleaded guilty to dangerous operation of a vehicle causing grievous bodily harm while adversely affected by an intoxicating substance.

She was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment and was eligible for parole on Friday, meaning she would not spend any time in custody.

Judge Kent said Lowry should never pick up another alcoholic drink in her life.

“This is a serious example of dangerous operation while intoxicated which had serious consequences,” he said.

MacMahon lost her South Brisbane seat in the October state election.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like
Erin Patterson

Expert Claims Mushroom Cook’s Murder Convictions Are ‘Appeal-Proof’

The judge in Erin Patterson’s triple-murder trial has made her case “virtually…
Close-up of a male doctor hand hold a silver pen and showing pad in hospital. Doctor giving prescription to the patient and filling up medical form at a clipboard

Doctor Issues 17,000 Medical Cannabis Prescriptions in Half a Year

Australia’s healthcare regulator has released new guidelines for medicinal cannabis following incidents…
Carolina Wilga, 26, has been backpacking through Australia for the past two years and works on mines to fund her stay at hostels.

Concerns Rise Over Missing German Backpacker in Western Australia

Authorities hold serious concerns for a German backpacker who is believed to…
Extent of major Qantas data breach revealed

Details of Significant Data Breach at Qantas Disclosed

Details of last week’s Qantas data breach have now been made clearer…

Strong Winds Exceeding 100km/hr Hit Four States as Polar Storm Strikes

Strong winds spurred by sweeping cold fronts topped 100km/hr in four states…

US Eliminates Shoe Removal at Airport Screenings After 20 Years

Passengers at United States airports will no longer have to remove their…
Saving seven lives as easy as ticking a box, organ donor advocates say

Organ Donation Advocates Highlight the Simplicity of Saving Seven Lives with a Check Mark

When Oren Klemich lost his teenage son to Meningococcal 16 years ago,…
A photo supplied by the kindergarten to parents show bright yellow "corn" rolls.

Chinese Kindergarten Uses Paint to Decorate Food

In northwest China, authorities have reported that over 200 kindergarten students were…
Erin Patterson is on trial accused of three counts of murder and one of attempted murder.

Chronology of Key Events Leading to Erin Patterson’s Conviction

Erin Patterson has ultimately been declared guilty of three counts of murder…

“Adjusting His Aussie Accent: How Mitch Achieved Musical Success”

Mitch Thompson from country/pop act Seaforth sounds straight out of Nashville —…
Storm weather. Torrential rain

Do you trust the “feels like” temperature or the real one? Here’s the explanation

Between ‘bomb cyclones’ and polar blasts, many Aussies have been shivering through…
Deer sprinting across ACT highway

Video of Wild Deer Dashing Across Road Highlights Nationwide ‘Emergency’

Dashcam footage of a deer narrowly missing cars as it darted across…