Supercars driver Luke Youlden gives evidence over Lamborghini crash that killed Adelaide teenager Sophia Naismith

A expert race car or truck driver has advised courtroom an Adelaide driver probably accelerated his Lamborghini in “sporting activities mode” prior to hitting teen Sophia Naismith.

Racing and stunt driver Luke Youlden was giving evidence in the Adelaide District Courtroom exactly where Alexander Campbell has been facing trial above the 2019 lethal crash.

In June 2019, Sophia and her then-15-12 months-outdated friend were walking alongside Morphett Street in Adelaide’s south-western suburbs to a friend’s property when they were strike.

The car experienced also mounted a kerb and crashed into a Glengowrie cafe.

Right after searching at a diagram of the crash, Mr Youlden told the court docket that the automobile was probably in sports manner before Mr Campbell lost regulate of the vehicle.

“I would believe sporting activities mode at the extremely the very least,” the superior driver trainer said.

The diagram confirmed where the car or truck began shedding management, where by tyre marks begun on the highway.

Those marks veered off the road and turned remaining into the cafe.

Mr Youlden — who was co-driver in the car that eventually gained the 2017 Bathurst 1000 — said the character of the marks indicated challenging acceleration experienced prompted them.

“Just the mother nature of the marks — they’ve just basically absent tricky left,” he said.

“If the driver was on the lookout to the place he wanted to go it would be significantly straighter than that and the steadiness regulate would have basically engaged.”

‘Unusual’ to slip in harmless method

The skilled witness stated a auto in sporting activities manner slips a lot additional easily and would only have to reduce a little bit of traction to start out slipping.

“Cars and trucks just do not generate down the road at 53 [kph] and then switch left — it has to reply to an input,” Mr Youlden said.

“Looking at this, and knowing the auto, the only way it’Fs likely to flip like that is to get on the fuel excessively.”

Mr Youlden mentioned it was unlikely that the car would have missing manage in “strada” or “safe mode”, which were driving modes of Lamborghinis.

“I wouldn’t say it is not possible — but it’s very unusual to eliminate that a great deal slip in a risk-free mode like that,” he reported.

The Supercars sequence driver was also requested if it was possible a Lamborghini Huracán could be in strada method with moderate throttle and knowledge the similar reduction of command as Mr Campbell did.

“Not in my feeling, no. If it was reasonable and started off to speed up bit by bit — [it] would shift its excess weight to the rear and push down the street straight.”

Lamborghini mounted kerb

By questioning from Mr Campbell’s defence lawyer, Craig Caldicott, Mr Youlden claimed that, considering that 2016, he experienced driven a Lamborghini Huracán 3 times in strada, sport and corsa modes.

Mr Youlden explained he’d hardly ever lost command although driving a Huracán.

“Controlled slippage of course, but in no way spun out,” he said.

Mr Caldicott claimed an expert reconstructionist experienced found the vehicle had 1st turned left, then appropriate and other materials from the scene confirmed the car experienced still left brake marks.

“If the automobile was in sports manner, there was reasonable acceleration, the temperature was at seven levels [Celsius], or thereabouts, and the car or truck was transformed up a gear and the car then proceeded to move still left then correct and mounted a kerb — is that a risk?” Mr Caldicott asked.

“Certainly, that is a possibility,” Mr Youlden claimed.

The issue returns to court on Friday.