By M10News Staff | Compiled by Dayo Ade Olusola | Source: 9News Australia
15 July 202
An English tourist accused of causing a fatal e-scooter crash while intoxicated has faced court in Western Australia, where she remains in custody ahead of further legal proceedings.
Alicia Kemp, 25, from Redditch, Worcestershire, has been charged with dangerous driving causing death and dangerous driving causing bodily harm—both while under the influence of alcohol—following a late-night collision in Perth’s city centre on May 31 that resulted in the death of 51-year-old Thanh Phan.
Mr Phan, a father of two, succumbed to severe head injuries days after the crash, including a bleed on the brain sustained when Kemp allegedly struck him while riding an e-scooter.
According to police, Kemp was more than three times over the legal alcohol limit at the time of the incident. Under Western Australian law, e-scooter riders must wear helmets, remain sober, and carry no passengers. Riders must also be over the age of 16.
Kemp, a graduate in criminology and psychology, appeared via video link at Perth Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday. She has not yet entered a plea and was denied bail at a previous hearing in June. She is scheduled to reappear in court on August 11 for a legal argument hearing.
The charge of dangerous driving causing death carries a potential maximum sentence of 20 years in prison under Western Australian law.
In a statement, Mr Phan’s grieving family described him as a “beloved husband, father of two, brother, and dear friend,” and called for tougher regulations surrounding the use of electric scooters in public areas.
In response to growing safety concerns, the Western Australian government has launched a parliamentary inquiry into e-scooter and e-bike safety across the state, as reported by 9News.
The case has reignited public debate about the use of e-scooters in urban centres, especially regarding their safety when operated under the influence or outside of current legal limits.
Kemp remains in custody pending the next stage of court proceedings.
