A young woman has told an Adelaide court she thought she was going to die when a drunk off-duty taxi driver ploughed into a wall at excessive speed, injuring all six people in the car.
Arshdeep Singh has pleaded guilty to five counts of causing harm by dangerous driving.
Singh and his five passengers were injured in the crash at the corner of Seaford Road and Main South Road in Old Noarlunga in September last year.
A 14-year-old boy, two 16-year-old girls, an 18-year-old woman and a 26-year-old man were all taken to hospital.
During a pre-sentence hearing, the District Court heard the 22-year-old drove a taxi in the evening to fund his tertiary education, which is how he was driving a registered taxi at the time.
The court also heard the group had been drinking at a party together and decided to go somewhere else, with Singh believing he was the person "least intoxicated" to drive.
Judge Paul Muscat said it was "extremely fortunate no-one was killed" and that Singh was deliberately driving dangerously at excessive speeds while he was drunk.
Prosecutor Jessica Houlahan told the court Singh was driving at about 148 kilometres per hour seconds before he crashed into the wall.
"There were also an unsafe number of occupants in the car, meaning there were not enough seats or seatbelts," she told the court.
Passenger describes fear as taxi crashed
A passenger in the taxi — Mikaela Parry — told the court through a victim impact statement that she would never be able to forget the screaming, the screeching of the tyres and bracing for impact as the car ploughed towards a wall.
"I thought I was going to die that night," she told the court.
"We were going way too fast to take that corner.
"I slid down my seat and pushed myself back into my seat with my arms up in front of my face bracing for the impact, screaming with everyone else in the car.
"I couldn't believe that we all survived."
She told the court she suffered internal bleeding and spent three days in hospital but continued to live with pain and horrific flashbacks for the months following.
Her mother, Michelle Parry, told the court it was "gut-wrenching" hearing her daughter had been injured in a crash and not knowing what condition she was in.
"Mickey soon arrived with a swollen, bloodied, bruised face, neck and chest — I thought 'that's it'," she told the court.
"My head was literally spinning with my thoughts spiralling about what the outcome of this situation was going to be — am I about to lose my daughter?
"I've literally seen my daughter decline into a shell of her former self, which was happy, outgoing, confident."
Ms Parry told the court Singh had come to the Royal Adelaide Hospital to check on Mikaela and apologise and that her family had forgiven him.
Singh to be deported to India
Singh's lawyer, Sam McDonough, told the court his client was "extremely devastated" over his "terrible decision with tragic consequences" and had apologised to the court and all involved.
"In many ways, Mr Singh before this incident was an ordinary, nice, young man looking to better his life and prospects by seeking tertiary education in Australia," he told the court.
"Mr Singh never had any intention of hurting anyone.
"I ask the court to extend to Mr Singh all the mercy it can."
The court also heard Singh accepted he would be deported to India upon his release from prison.
Singh will be sentenced next month.
