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By Elizabeth Byrne
Topic:Courts
The crash saw two St Edmund's College schoolboys hospitalised with serious injuries. (ABC News: Emily Anderson)
A stolen car driven by a man who hit two teenagers outside their school was being tracked by police before the crash, court documents have revealed.
Tayler Hazell, 32, has pleaded guilty to seven charges, including counts of culpable driving causing grievous bodily harm and unlawfully taking a child.
Hazell, who is yet to be sentenced, has been granted a place in the ACT's restorative justice system, where he will meet two of his victims face-to-face.
It has been revealed that police were tracking a stolen car that hit two school boys outside St Edmund's College in March via an AirTag, but were unable to find a way to safely stop the driver before the crash.
Both boys were rushed to hospital, one with life-threatening injuries.
Tayler Hazell, 32, has previously pleaded guilty to seven charges, including counts of culpable driving causing grievous bodily harm, stealing a car and unlawfully taking a child.
He is waiting to be sentenced by the ACT Supreme Court.
Court documents released today revealed that an AirTag — a small tracking device — was in the school bag of a girl who was in the stolen car when it was taken from the car park of a childcare centre in Sutton.
The Sutton childcare centre where an eight-year-old girl was taken in a stolen car by Tayler Hazell. (ABC News: David Sciasci)
Hazell drove a short distance before letting the girl go, saying to her, "Oh, you're a girl".
St Edmund's was not the only school passed by Hazell as he drove from across the border in New South Wales into the ACT — he drove into a car outside a Queanbeyan school, and also damaged a safety barrier on a pedestrian crossing.
His erratic driving also included driving straight across a roundabout, and over median strips to get around other drivers.
According to court documents, when Hazell neared St Edmund's College in dense traffic, he tried to get past another car by driving onto the median strip.
He hit the rear of the car and simultaneously the two boys, aged 14 and 15, as they waited to cross the road.
The St Edmund's College students were struck by the stolen car while standing on the median strip waiting to cross the road. (ABC News: Emily Anderson)
The 14-year-old was thrown nine metres, and the 15-year-old, who suffered the worst injuries, was found 31 metres away from the collision.
After hitting the boys, Hazell drove on at speed towards Manuka, where he came to a stop, with smoke coming from the front of the car.
Hazell ran towards the nearby shops, but was stopped by members of the public who enacted a citizen's arrest.
Tayler Hazell crashed the stolen car outside St Christopher's Cathedral in Manuka a short time after hitting the schoolboys.  (ABC News: Emily Anderson)
Shortly afterwards, when police arrived, a body-worn camera captured Hazell's voice saying, "I hope I haven't f***ing hurt anyone".
"Oh f***, oh f***.
"I think I hit one of those kids, man, I really think I f***ing hit one of those kids.
"Oh no, please God no."
Blood tests showed that at the time Hazell had a level of methamphetamine in his blood of 0.06 milligrams per litre, with 0.02 milligrams of amphetamine per litre.
An expert report found that based on the observations of his driving, video footage and the level of drugs in his system, he was incapable of being in proper control of a car.
Hazell entered his pleas of guilty in July.
Even though he has not been sentenced yet, he has asked to be part of the ACT's restorative justice system.
In the program, offenders get to hear the impact of their crime from the victims and can be asked questions by the victims.
It is also an opportunity for an offender to show remorse.
In this case, two of the victims and their families have agreed to take part, although one victim has declined.
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