A man charged over the death of a newborn baby after his ute allegedly crashed into a car parked on the side of a Gold Coast motorway has been granted bail.
Tiata Wiremu Bruce Horn, 51, had been in custody since last Monday when he was charged over the crash on the M1 northbound at Gaven just before 3am on September 21.
New mother Divine Caneo, 24, told the ABC she had pulled over on the side of the road to check on her one-month-old baby, Jack Riordan, after he suddenly stopped crying.
She had been driving home after taking her sick partner to the emergency department at Gold Coast University Hospital earlier that evening.
After trying to feed the baby, Ms Caneo had put her son back in his seat when her SUV was allegedly struck by Mr Horn’s ute.
Jack Riordan, who died in a traffic crash. (Supplied: Divine Caneo)
Jack was rushed to Gold Coast University Hospital (GCUH) with life-threatening injuries but died a short time later.
Ms Caneo was also taken to GCUH in a serious condition.
After an 11-week police investigation, Mr Horn, from Loganlea, was charged with dangerous operation of a vehicle causing death, driving while a relevant drug is present in blood or saliva and driving without due care and attention or without reasonable consideration for other persons, causing death of grievous bodily harm.
During a bail application in Southport Magistrates Court on Monday, police prosecutor Sergeant James Pedlow opposed bail, telling the court Mr Horn was an unacceptable flight risk and due to the seriousness of the charges.
Defence barrister Daniel Barker told the court that while his client had earlier booked a flight to New Zealand to visit family for Christmas, any flight risk had been “neutralised” due to Mr Horn surrendering his passport at the time of his arrest.
Mr Barker told the court Mr Horn had lived in Australia for more than 20 years, had been employed in civil construction during that time and lived with his child.
Magistrate Joan White granted bail on the condition Mr Horn report to Logan police station each Friday, not leave Queensland, surrender his passport to the court’s registrar, and not go within 100 meters of any international departure points.
Sergeant Pedlow also requested Mr Horn be banned from driving while on bail, but the magistrate refused.
“I’m loath to impose that, he’s not convicted as yet,” she said.
The matter was adjourned until January 22.