Drunk and drug-affected driver jailed for killing mum-of-five in Gold Coast highway hit-run

A driver who killed a mother-of-five in a Gold Coast hit-and-run has been sentenced to nine years in prison.

Today, a judge heard Kaine Carter was drunk, on drugs, disqualified from driving and in an uninsured and unregistered car when he hit Tammara Macrokanis in Pimpama last year.

The judge told Carter his actions "truly defied belief".

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Ms Macrokanis was walking along the M1 highway in October last year after having a fight with a loved one when she was struck by Carter's vehicle.

Carter, who was driving home intoxicated after a Logan pub crawl, swerved from the right lane across four lanes of traffic, smashing into the highway's guard rail and Ms Macrokanis.

The court heard Ms Macrokanis was pinned to the rail and dragged 20 metres by the vehicle in the crash.

Carter then fled the scene.

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Ms Macrokanis' family was looking for Tammara when her sister found Carter passed out nearby, next to his vehicle.

Rushing to Carter's aid, the woman called police to help him, unaware he had just killed her sister.

Carter has been behind bars since the incident and was today sentenced to nine years in prison.

He will be eligible for parole in October 2024 and will be barred from driving for life.

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