A drink-driver seriously injured a cyclist, causing multiple fractures and brain injuries, after crashing into him and launching the victim almost nine metres.
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Simon Joseph Lewis continued driving with a cooler of bourbon cans on his passenger seat after the crash, only stopping his vehicle when witnesses intervened.
The 35-year-old faced Queanbeyan Local Court on Tuesday, when he pleaded guilty to several charges, including dangerous driving occasioning grievous bodily harm, drug-driving and mid-range drink-driving.
Several other charges were withdrawn.
The case will now go to the Queanbeyan District Court, where a charge of failing to stop and assist will also be taken into account in sentencing.
Agreed facts state about 6.45pm on December 2, 2022, Lewis crashed into a 67-year-old cyclist in Queanbeyan.
The victim was riding his bike north on Lanyon Drive and was on his way home from work.
He was riding in a cycle lane while wearing a yellow fluorescent shirt and a red helmet.
Lewis, driving a white Volkswagen, veered into the cycling lane and the front rear-side of the vehicle "collided heavily" with the rear of the victim's bike.
"The victim was ejected northwards from his bicycle and landed heavily on the road surface," the facts state.
The victim landed almost nine metres away from the impact area and the bike was propelled over a railing.
A witness saw the 67-year-old "flip about a metre in the air, over the offender's car".
Lewis returned his car to his lane but did not stop and continued to drive away.
Two witnesses, who were also driving at the time, followed Lewis' car.
When Lewis pulled over 650 metres from the collision, one of the witnesses got out and said: "What are you doing? You need to go back."
Lewis replied: "I know but I don't know where to turn around".
The witness then offered to drive him back to the crash.
After Lewis sat in the front passenger seat of the woman's car, he said: "I don't know what I'm going to do. I'm f---ed."
"I didn't see them. What have I done? I hope I haven't killed them. I'm f---ed now. I don't know what to do."
The victim suffered serious head and internal injuries and was taken to Canberra Hospital in a helicopter.
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Lewis' vehicle had a damaged front bumper, scratch marks on the front guard, scrapes and dents on the passenger rear-side door, and a smashed side mirror left dangling.
Police found a cooler bag with three cans of bourbon and cola on the front passenger seat.
Lewis was also found to have methamphetamine in his system.
In a recorded interview with police the next day, Lewis told officers the collision happened "extremely quick".
Lewis said he reached to his left to grab "something, perhaps cigarettes, and then heard a bang".
He claimed that once he drove past a set of traffic lights, someone was right behind him flashing their lights and he pulled over.
Lewis said he was shaking at the time "because I thought 'f---', that must have been someone".
The victim was in hospital for 12 days and suffered bleeding on the surface of his brain, skull fractures, traumatic brain injury, fractures to his neck and spine, lung bruising, rib fractures and a wound to the back of his knee.
Several of his injuries required plastic reconstructive surgery.
The case is set to return to court on November 6.
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