A Melbourne man has narrowly avoided a criminal record after hitting a utility at 154km/h at Springhurst, a collision his lawyer admitted could have been fatal "if not for the grace of God”.

The 25-year-old appeared at Wangaratta Magistrates’ Court seated next to a Mandarin interpreter as he pleaded guilty to reckless conduct endangering serious injury.

The court heard on 10 October 2025 the accused was driving back home to Melbourne following a five-day holiday in Canberra with his wife.

At Springhurst the P-plater was observed overtaking at fast speeds as he approached a white utility south of the Benton Hill rest area.

As he attempted to overtake the utility across a sweeping bend, he veered into the left lane and hit the rear of the utility at 154km/h.

His vehicle became trapped under the flat bed of the utility, being dragged some 160m along the road before dislodging.

The defendant’s SUV was visibly damaged, with the bonnet folded and the front passenger side off from the rim of the wheel.

Scuff marks were left on the road as multiple witnesses reported the incident to police.

The man and his wife were hospitalised with minor injuries, and the driver of the utility was unscathed.

Dashcam footage from both vehicles was viewed by police, who charged the accused a month later.

Defence counsel Chen Yang said “if not for the grace of god”, his client could have been facing a much worse situation than the minor injuries obtained and singular charge he faced.

“He was driving too fast and he realises that, there’s no excuse for it,” he said.

Mr Yang said his client had just completed a masters degree in financial management and while he had just obtained employment in the business, a conviction on his record would make work “difficult” to find.

Magistrate Peter Dunn granted the pleas of no conviction but hit the 25-year-old’s pocket and driving eligibility hard.

He was fined $5000 and disqualified from driving for 18 months, 12 months more than the mandatory minimum.

“It’s such a ridiculous thing to be doing, he’s got a wife in the car… in theory he seems like a responsible person,” Magistrate Dunn said.