Joel James Child, 32, had drunk eight or nine beers before getting behind the wheel of a colleague’s car on August 21, 2009, the Victorian County Court heard.
He also had the drugs methadone and diazepam in his system when he struck another vehicle at the intersection of Plenty Rd and Blossom Park Drive in Melbourne’s north at about 8.45pm, Judge Richard Maidment said.
Child’s boss at the demolition company, Jeffrey Reading, died on impact while two other passengers were injured, the court heard.
The father-of-one was travelling between 84km/h and 92km/h in an 80km/h zone at the time of the crash.
He later recorded a blood-alcohol level of 0.122.
In sentencing, Judge Maidment took into account Child’s guilty plea, remorse, and injuries suffered in the crash.
He said Child’s incarceration meant he would would miss out on raising his son, whom he had when he was 17.
He said Child, who has prior convictions for unlicensed and drink driving, had improved prospects of rehabilitation.
Child pleaded guilty to one charge of culpable driving and two counts of negligently causing serious injury.
Judge Maidment jailed Child for seven years with a non-parole period of four years and disqualified him from obtaining a new licence for six years.
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