SA drink-driver jailed for 'selfish' crash

An Adelaide man who hit and killed a pedestrian while nearly four times over the legal blood alcohol limit will spend at least two years, six months behind bars for his "reckless and selfish" decision to drive.

Joshua Burroughs Norman, 24, had spent the night drinking when he got behind the wheel of a Mercedes-Benz sedan in the early hours of December 29, 2018.

He bought food at a petrol station, where an attendant noticed he was swaying and slurring his words, before he returned to the road and fatally struck 21-year-old Adam Joseph at O'Halloran Hill, in Adelaide's south.

Mr Joseph, who had also been out drinking and was waiting for an Uber to arrive, died at the scene.

A sample taken after the crash revealed Norman's blood alcohol content was at least 0.191 but could have been as high as 0.21 - more than four times the legal limit - at the time of the crash.

Sentencing him in the District Court on Tuesday, Judge Jane Schammer said Norman's actions had forever changed the lives of Mr Joseph's family and friends.

"Your reckless and selfish decision to drive, while grossly affected by alcohol, had tragic consequences," she said.

Judge Schammer said the service station attendant had served Norman several times before, and gave evidence that he was repeatedly reported to the police for drink driving.

She said Mr Joseph, a student at Flinders University, had been born premature and had successfully overcome many challenges in life.

In 2019 he was due to fly to the UK to undertake an internship at Arsenal Football Club, as part of sports science degree, before returning to take up a role as joint coach of the reserves team at his beloved Noarlunga United Soccer Club.

Norman wiped away tears as Judge Schammer jailed him for three years, two months, with a non-parole period of two years, six months.

She said the offending was too serious for a suspended or home detention sentence, and ordered that he be disqualified from driving for 10 years upon his release from prison.

Outside court, Mr Joseph's father, David said nothing would bring Adam back but the family "expected nothing less" than a jail sentence.

"This has been another drink driving case between a good and a bad decision," he said.

"Adam made a good decision to walk and call an Uber after a night out drinking.

"Joshua Norman made a bad decision to drink and drive, and he killed my son."