By Max Aitchison For Daily Mail Australia
12:50 01 Jun 2023, updated 17:24 01 Jun 2023
- Nathan Bernhard, 27, charged with dangerous driving
- Allegedly over-the-limit when he ran over his two mates
- They had been lying in the road to try to stop him driving
A man is accused of running over his two best friends while allegedly drunk after they laid on the road to try to stop him from getting behind the wheel.
Nathan Bernhard, 27, fronted court on Thursday charged with serious driving offences after allegedly running over Bobby Kelsall, 36, and Stephen Lippis, 41 on Wednesday night on a cul-de-sac in North Nowra on the NSW south coast.
Police will allege in court, the three men had been drinking together ahead of the first State of Origin match that evening when Bernhard decided he wanted to drive home, which was just a 15-minute walk away.
Police will further allege the two friends tried to stop him by lying down in the road about 7pm.
But Bernhard allegedly turned his ute around at the end of Condie Crescent and ran over the two men.
He allegedly told police he did not see them.
Bystanders gave first aid until NSW Ambulance paramedics arrived but both men died at the scene.
Police allege Bernhard was breath-tested at the scene and returned a positive result.
He was arrested and taken to Nowra Police Station, where he underwent a breath analysis, before being taken to hospital for mandatory testing.
A neighbour of Mr Lippis and Mr Kelsall, who wished to remain anonymous, cried as she remembered the two ‘great mates’.
‘All three of them were mates,’ she told the Daily Telegraph.
‘This has been just such a tragic, terrible incident. I’m still in shock.’
Bernard was charged with dangerous driving occasioning death, negligent driving occasioning death and mid-range drink driving.
He was granted bail on the condition he does not drive a car or attempt to contact any prosecution witnesses and will appear in court again on August 9.