Drug-affected driver sentenced for hitting schoolboys; sues government over arrest
Consensus Summary
A drug-affected driver named Tayler Hazell was sentenced to 13 years and two months in prison for a hit-and-run incident involving two schoolboys outside St Edmund's College in Canberra on March 28, 2023. Hazell, 32, stole a green Commodore from a childcare centre in New South Wales, had an eight-year-old girl inside before releasing her, and drove erratically before crashing after hitting the boys. The judge described Hazell as lacking remorse and a danger to the community. Separately, Hazell is suing the Commonwealth for unlawful battery, citing injuries from his arrest by AFP officers, with bodycam footage showing him being forcibly slammed to the ground. The AFP acknowledged the officers' conduct breached professional standards. The victims' families expressed relief over the sentencing but acknowledged the long road to recovery for the injured boys.
✓ Verified by 2+ sources
Key details reported by multiple sources:
- Tayler Hazell, 32, pleaded guilty to two counts of culpable driving causing grievous bodily harm to two schoolboys (aged 14 and 15) outside St Edmund's College, Canberra, on March 28, 2023
- Hazell was sentenced to 13 years and two months in prison with a non-parole period of nine years by ACT Supreme Court judge John Burns on March 28, 2024
- Hazell stole a green Commodore from a childcare centre in Sutton, NSW, and had an eight-year-old girl inside before letting her out
- Hazell crashed the stolen car outside Manuka shops after hitting the boys on Canberra Avenue in Griffith
- Hazell was high on drugs and drove erratically, crossing median strips and overtaking cars at speed before the incident
- Hazell is suing the Commonwealth for unlawful battery, seeking damages for injuries including pain, fear, embarrassment, and aggravated damages for violence and disgrace
- Bodycam footage shows Hazell being forcibly slammed to the ground by AFP officers after being handcuffed
- The AFP investigation found the officers' conduct breached professional standards, and prosecutors accepted the force used was unlawful
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- Acting Justice Burns stated Hazell's guilty pleas did not reflect true remorse and described him as 'in no fit state to drive' and 'a danger to the community'
- Joshua Way, father of victim Aaron Way, praised the boys' resilience and thanked St Edmund's College principal Tim Cleary for support
- Calls were made to improve safety around St Edmund's College, including construction of a signalised crossing approved recently
- Hazell's civil case against the Commonwealth is expected to be heard in July, with Hazell seeking damages for 'pain, fear and embarrassment, as well as aggravated damages for violence and disgrace'
- Bodycam footage captured Hazell saying 'I hope I haven't f***ing hurt anyone' and 'I think I hit one of those kids, man, I really think I f***ing hit one of those kids'
- The stolen car was a green Commodore taken from a childcare centre across the border in New South Wales
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- No contradictions found between the two sources
Source Articles
Driver sentenced to 13 years' jail over hit-and-run of Canberra schoolboys
It's almost a year to the day since Tayler Hazell drove a stolen car erratically through Canberra, seriously injuring two children....
Drug-fuelled driver who hit schoolboys sues Commonwealth over arrest
Tayler Hazell, who will be sentenced tomorrow over a hit-and-run that seriously injured two children, is suing the federal government, alleging police violently treated him during his arrest....