A Ballarat man who crashed his 2016 Ford Mustang into a public bus has blamed a sneeze for losing control of his car.
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Mark Lake, 55, pleaded guilty in the Ballarat Magistrates Court on Monday.
Police prosecutor Senior Constable Ben Jones told the court the man's vehicle was parked on Macarthur Street on August 26 last year.
Lake and a passenger got into the coupe and drove the car around the Doveton Street roundabout.
The car was driven 50 to 100 metres north on Doveton Street before hitting a CDC Victoria bus coming the other way.
"The impact caused the car to spin and stop in the parking lane on the west side ... airbags were deployed," Senior Constable Jones said, noting there was extensive damage to Lake's car.
The bus driver received bruising to the hands and back of the head, with Lake running from the scene after making no attempt to speak to anyone.
The court heard the man went to a doctor following the crash. Senior Constable Jones said when police arrived at his home to speak to him about the incident on the same day, his wife told police he was not at home.
CCTV from the public bus and the Mustang's on-board computer showed Lake was accelerating out of the roundabout at a normal pace, before swerving left and right two seconds before impact.
The man's defence lawyer David Tamanika said his client "doesn't remember much after going around the roundabout, but has the distinct recollection of sneezing".
The court heard that after absconding from the scene, the guilty man had a "scrape on his nose and mild head abrasion". His lawyer said Lake's choice to leave the crash was likely caused by the airbag being deployed and hitting him in the face.
But Magistrate Letizia Torres said she was "not persuaded" by Lake's explanation, noting he "couldn't be tested for drugs or alcohol because he's left the scene".
"I am going to suspend your license for two months, it will be a burden on you with your (conveyancing) business," she said.
Lake was convicted and fined $600. Restitution by the bus company CDC Victoria was adjourned to a later date.
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