The NSW police commissioner has backed tougher penalties for people caught texting and driving after two of his officers were badly injured by an alleged repeat offender in Sydney’s southwest.
Jakob Thornton faced six charges after crashing into Jonathan Wright and Matthew Foley in Leumeah on Friday night.
The senior constables were pinned between the car and a police van and surgeons were forced to amputate Mr Wright’s right foot and Mr Foley was left with a fractured leg.
Thornton was allegedly looking at his phone for 10-to-20 seconds when he crashed into the two officers setting up a random breath testing station, a court heard on Saturday.
The 22-year-old, who had his provisional licence suspended four times, was denied bail when he appeared via video link at Parramatta Bail Court.
It’s not the first time he has been caught using a mobile phone while driving, with an incident two years ago leading to the suspension of his licence.
Thornton is due to appear at Campbelltown Local Court on Wednesday.
NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller visited the less seriously injured officer at Liverpool Hospital on Saturday morning.
He told reporters he was in good spirits, while the other remained in intensive care after having part of one of his legs amputated.
But he rued the fact that an officer almost died because of a driver’s “reckless” behaviour.
“There is a cultural problem in this state, where drivers think it’s more important to text and drive before considering the potentially life-threatening consequences,” Mr Fuller told News Corp Australia.
“As commissioner, it is my role to protect life, so I am open to any solution that will discourage drivers from touching their mobile phones behind the wheel.”
In a single day earlier this month, highway officers issued more than 1200 infringement notices to people using their mobile phones while driving.
It followed an announcement by NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian that cameras would be used to catch drivers using their phones as part of a broader road safety plan.
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