Safety note: Admin approval is an initial review, not a guarantee that every detail is correct. Check important or urgent claims with official sources and report anything inaccurate or unsafe.
Source and credit: Contributor's own report
Driver Pleads Guilty After Car Crashes Into Merbein Home - Merbein, VIC
Smart summary
A Victorian man has pleaded guilty to multiple driving offences after crashing through a power pole and into a Merbein home, causing more than $180,000 in damage.
A 40-year-old man has pleaded guilty to more than a dozen charges following a series of driving incidents in north-west Victoria, including a crash that sent his vehicle through a power pole and into a home in Merbein.
The Mildura Magistrates' Court heard that the major crash happened on Game Street in Merbein on May 11, 2026. The vehicle crashed through a power pole, a tin fence and part of the house before coming to rest close to a bedroom where a 70-year-old man was sleeping. The impact caused extensive damage to the property and left the resident without electricity for an extended period.
The damaged home suffered more than $156,000 in damage, while the power pole caused a further cost of more than $25,000. The combined damage from the incident was therefore more than $180,000.
The court heard that the vehicle involved was a Ford Falcon XR6. The car had reportedly been purchased only five days before the crash. Following the collision, the driver and another man fled the scene on foot. The incident left emergency workers dealing with significant damage to the house and electricity infrastructure.
The resident was sleeping in a room only metres from where the vehicle stopped. A statement presented to the court described the frightening experience of hearing the vehicle approach, followed by the crash and movement of the house. The collision reportedly knocked the house off its stumps and buckled sections of its flooring.
The driver, Paul Jenkins, pleaded guilty to charges including reckless conduct endangering life and reckless driving. The court also heard that he had not been licensed to drive at the time of the Merbein crash.
Jenkins told police after his arrest that he believed the vehicle's steering arm had broken shortly before the collision. The court heard that the vehicle's speed had not been disclosed during the proceedings, while the road had a posted speed limit of 50 kilometres per hour.
The Merbein crash was not the only driving incident considered by the court. Jenkins also pleaded guilty to offences connected with a June 18 incident in which he allegedly chased another driver at high speed before his vehicle collided with her car. The woman was able to drive away from that incident.
The court also heard about another incident involving a Holden Commodore that was later found submerged in the Murray River, as well as offences involving burnouts and damage to other vehicles.
Jenkins's lawyer told the court that he fled the Merbein crash because he knew he was unlicensed. The defence also said Jenkins had been using methamphetamine during some of the offences and had begun participating in drug rehabilitation programs while in custody.
The prosecution and defence agreed that a custodial sentence with a non-parole period would be appropriate. However, Magistrate Greg Thomas ordered that Jenkins undergo a psychological assessment before sentencing.
The case will return to court in November, when the court is expected to consider the assessment and determine the sentence.
CourtVehicleCrashIncidentJenkins
A 40-year-old man has pleaded guilty to more than a dozen charges following a series of driving incidents in north-west Victoria, including a crash that sent his vehicle through a power pole and into a home in Merbein.
The Mildura Magistrates' Court heard that the major crash happened on Game Street in Merbein on May 11, 2026. The vehicle crashed through a power pole, a tin fence and part of the house before coming to rest close to a bedroom where a 70-year-old man was sleeping. The impact caused extensive damage to the property and left the resident without electricity for an extended period.
The damaged home suffered more than $156,000 in damage, while the power pole caused a further cost of more than $25,000. The combined damage from the incident was therefore more than $180,000.
The court heard that the vehicle involved was a Ford Falcon XR6. The car had reportedly been purchased only five days before the crash. Following the collision, the driver and another man fled the scene on foot. The incident left emergency workers dealing with significant damage to the house and electricity infrastructure.
The resident was sleeping in a room only metres from where the vehicle stopped. A statement presented to the court described the frightening experience of hearing the vehicle approach, followed by the crash and movement of the house. The collision reportedly knocked the house off its stumps and buckled sections of its flooring.
The driver, Paul Jenkins, pleaded guilty to charges including reckless conduct endangering life and reckless driving. The court also heard that he had not been licensed to drive at the time of the Merbein crash.
Jenkins told police after his arrest that he believed the vehicle's steering arm had broken shortly before the collision. The court heard that the vehicle's speed had not been disclosed during the proceedings, while the road had a posted speed limit of 50 kilometres per hour.
The Merbein crash was not the only driving incident considered by the court. Jenkins also pleaded guilty to offences connected with a June 18 incident in which he allegedly chased another driver at high speed before his vehicle collided with her car. The woman was able to drive away from that incident.
The court also heard about another incident involving a Holden Commodore that was later found submerged in the Murray River, as well as offences involving burnouts and damage to other vehicles.
Jenkins's lawyer told the court that he fled the Merbein crash because he knew he was unlicensed. The defence also said Jenkins had been using methamphetamine during some of the offences and had begun participating in drug rehabilitation programs while in custody.
The prosecution and defence agreed that a custodial sentence with a non-parole period would be appropriate. However, Magistrate Greg Thomas ordered that Jenkins undergo a psychological assessment before sentencing.
The case will return to court in November, when the court is expected to consider the assessment and determine the sentence.
Three teenagers have been charged after a police officer was allegedly stabbed during a disturbance in Darwin City, with the officer requiring further h...
A nine-year-old boy has drowned in a drainpipe at Katherine Low Level in the Northern Territory, with police investigating the circumstances surrounding...
A Chinese private processor has purchased 68,000 tonnes of new-season Australian canola for shipment in March, marking the first known private-sector pu...
A British traveller was left behind at a remote South Australian roadside stop after her Greyhound bus departed during a scheduled overnight break near...
A long-nosed fur seal has died from H5 bird flu on Gabo Island near Mallacoota, with authorities monitoring wildlife and warning people to keep their di...
Rose Tattoo frontman Gary “Angry” Anderson has died at 79 after a five-decade career spanning Australian rock music, television, film and youth advocacy.
A Chinese private processor has purchased 68,000 tonnes of new-season Australian canola for shipment in March, marking the first known private-sector pu...
A new Cooperative Research Centre based at the University of Queensland's Brisbane city campus will bring researchers, industry and government together...
A British traveller was left behind at a remote South Australian roadside stop after her Greyhound bus departed during a scheduled overnight break near...
