Overview

• 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.