Victorian motorist jailed for killing his brother and cousin in high-speed Easter crash

Rory Teiffel attended church twice on Easter Sunday before deciding to take his new car for a spin with his brother and cousins.

The devout Christian was proud of his Jeep Grand Cherokee and boasted to his family about its high performance because it had eight gears.

But just nine and a half minutes after takeoff, Teiffel lost control and crashed into two trees at a speed of up to 246 km/h.

His 26-year-old cousin Ryan Suggate died instantly.

Teiffel's 16-year-old brother Denver was hospitalized but could not be saved and died about six days later.

Teiffel pleaded guilty to two counts of negligent homicide while driving and one count of driving while under the influence of alcohol.

He was sentenced today to a minimum of five years and four months in prison for the “tragic” car crash that left his family heartbroken, the Victorian District Court was told.

Judge Sarah Leighfield found that the 25-year-old was struggling with feelings of shame and guilt over his actions and decided to sentence him to a lesser term than the standard sentence.

She said Teiffel suffered a special punishment as he continued to mourn the loss of his teenage brother and cousin.

He was also expelled from the Brethren of the Christian church in which he grew up.

“Being excluded from the church and the community is especially difficult when you have spent your entire life in that community,” she said.

However, she found that Teiffel had been driving at excessive speed in the minutes before the accident.

Teiffel lived with his parents and brother in Wangaratta and his cousins ​​and their parents were visiting when the accident occurred.

On Easter Sunday, April 9, 2023, after attending church together in the morning and afternoon, Teiffel wanted to show his two cousins ​​and his brother the power of his new Jeep.

In less than 10 minutes it accelerated from 90 km/h to up to 246 km/h.

Teiffel's cousin Arron Suggate, who suffered broken bones in the accident, told the court that the speed was such that he was “thrown back into his seat”.

After 7 p.m., Teiffel lost control of his Jeep on a curve, the car hit a tree, slid sideways into a paddock and crashed into a second tree, where it overturned onto its roof.

Judge Leighfield said Teiffel's conduct was criminally negligent and his speed was exceptionally high.

By imposing a maximum sentence of eight years and nine months in prison, she wanted to send a message to young people and deter them from committing similar crimes.

“If they drive at excessive speed and kill one or more other people, they face a long prison sentence,” she said.

Teiffel's supporters cried in court when the verdict was announced.

He has already served 44 days of his prison sentence after applying for bail to be revoked in July.