Driver Sentenced to 5½ Years for Crash That Killed Five in Victoria

Christopher Joannidis will serve at least three years in prison for dangerous driving causing death at a notorious intersection in 2023.

Christopher Joannidis, 30, pleaded guilty to five counts of dangerous driving causing death after a crash in Strathmerton, Victoria, in April 2023.
The crash killed Debbie Markey, four Taiwanese farm workers on working visas, and Markey's dog, Sophie, making it one of the state's deadliest road incidents in over a decade.
Joannidis had been issued a speeding ticket and warned by police about local road dangers shortly before the crash at the Murray Valley Highway-Labuan Road intersection.
The court heard Joannidis ignored multiple warning signs and rumble strips before failing to give way, pushing a Nissan Navara into the path of a milk tanker.
An inquest is underway to assess safety improvements for the intersection, which has a history of crashes, while Joannidis' license has been canceled for three years.