Jack Bowd tells court he was not driving in fatal Newell Highway crash
A 25-year-old man accused of driving a ute that killed four people in a Western New South Wales crash has told a court he is certain he was not behind the wheel at the time of the accident. Jack Bowd is facing a judge-alone trial in the Dubbo District Court.
Jack Bowd, 25, has told a court he is "dead set" he was not driving the ute that collided head-on with a van, killing four people in Western New South Wales.
Bowd has pleaded not guilty to four counts of dangerous driving occasioning death over the crash on the Newell Highway, south of Dubbo near Tomingley in September 2024.
Crash and Charges
His friends Joey Urban, 19, and Lochlann Jacobs, 18, died in the crash, along with Parkes couple Sue and Graham Tait, both 57.
Bowd is facing a judge-alone trial in the Dubbo District Court, where the central issue is who was behind the wheel of his Toyota Hilux at the time of the crash.
Prosecutors allege Bowd was driving, while the defence maintains Jacobs had taken over driving before the crash.
Trial Testimony
Taking the stand in his own defence, Bowd described his first memories after the crash.
"I remember just opening my eyes, seeing the steering wheel and then I popped the door open, went on the ground head first, and then crawled out of the side of my car," he told the court.
"I realised I had a broken leg at that point."
Bowd told the court the three friends had been pig hunting in Goobang National Park, between Parkes and Baldry, when his dog Luna was struck by his ute.
He said they were travelling to Dubbo to seek veterinary treatment when the dog's condition deteriorated near Tomingley, prompting him to pull over.
Bowd told the court Jacobs offered to take over driving so he could sit in the back with the injured animal.
"Lochie said, 'If she's going to die I'd rather her die with you' … so he got in the driver's seat, and I sat in the back, and then we left," he told the court.
Cross-Examination and Evidence
Under cross-examination, Crown prosecutor Michelle Swift questioned Bowd about gaps in his memory.
"Some things I don't remember, some things I do," he told the court.
Bowd conceded he could not remember seeing Jacobs get into the driver's seat, but insisted his friend took over driving after they stopped near Tomingley.
"I definitely didn't get back in the driver's seat," he said.
"I'm dead set about that."
Earlier in the trial, the court was shown Snapchat footage allegedly depicting Bowd driving the ute while holding a can of alcohol, with the speedometer reading 160km/h.
Judge Michael Smith is expected to deliver his judgment in December.