A taxi driver who crashed into another car and then drove off while his customers remained in the vehicle has been convicted in Orange Local Court.
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Darren Jon Townsend, 47, of Fox Avenue was not present in court but wrote a letter to magistrate David Day where he indicated he would plead guilty to not giving his details to the other driver and asked to be sentenced in his absence.
According to police Townsend drove his taxi to Gersbach Place at 6pm on February 7, this year, to collect passengers.
However, after he collected the passengers and while he was reversing out of a driveway he hit a ute causing damage to the vehicle.
Townsend then continued to drive off without attempting to provide his details to the owner of the other car.
"The offence is an offence against the road rules, the facts disclose a slow-speed collision," Mr Day said.
"Clearly he knew he touched the other vehicle."
Mr Day said Townsend had other driving infractions from 2012 on his driving record.
He convicted Townsend and fined him $220.
In an unrelated matter a man has been fined $550 and was given a 12-month driving disqualification for driving while his driver's licence was expired.
Kenneth Paul Young, 34, of Jilba Street, was driving along Seymour Street at 8.45pm on June 6 this year when police stopped him for a random breath test.
The breath test returned a negative result.
However, he was unable to produce his drivers' licence when police asked for it and he said he didn't have one.
"It was stupid. I was visiting family and thought I would make it back home," he said when he was asked why he was driving.
He was not present in court for sentencing.
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