Young Flinders driver fell asleep at wheel before serious head-on crash

Flinders resident Kyle Welch, now 21, had decided to continue driving on the morning of February 15 last year despite feeling so tired he had stopped twice on the journey from his home to his worksite in Lithgow.

The driver of the other vehicle, a 52-year-old man, survived the crash but was left with horrible injuries: a fractured right femur, nine fractures in his lower right leg and what agreed facts tendered to court described as a "mild" fracture in his neck.

Welch faced Wollongong Local Court for sentencing on Friday, having pleaded guilty to dangerous driving occasioning actual bodily harm.

Welch, who worked for a rail contractor, told police the week after the crash that he had gone to bed about 12am and woke up at 4am on February 15 before setting off for Lithgow about 5am.

He stopped twice, once buying a mocha in an attempt to stay awake, and called his girlfriend to combat his tiredness.

But about 7.50am, after negotiating a sweeping righthand bend, Welch's Toyota Corolla crossed the double white lines and collided with the front of a Ford Falcon.

The other driver was trapped before emergency services freed him and took him to Westmead Hospital.

Welch escaped the crash with abdominal bruising.

The court heard on Friday that the crash happened about 20 minutes away from Welch's destination.

Welch told police he fell asleep and woke when the airbags deployed in the crash.

When asked why he continued driving despite his tiredness, the then-20-year-old said he was afraid of getting in trouble from his boss for being late.

Lawyer Ben Hart told the court on Friday that his client was a very young man with one speeding offence on his record.

Mr Hart said Welch knew there could have been "horrific consequences" resulting from the crash.

The court heard Welch suffered post-traumatic stress disorder himself because of the incident and had completed the traffic offenders program.

Magistrate Claire Girotto said Welch's actions could have led to "disaster", telling him she had seen people in court who had fallen asleep while driving and killed their best friend.

"Never ever do it again - if you're tired, do not do it," Ms Girotto said.

But she said Welch was a young man who had made a mistake and did not deserve jail.

The offence of dangerous driving occasioning grievous bodily harm carries a maximum sentence of seven years' imprisonment, although in the Local Court prison sentences are limited to two years for a single offence.

Instead, Ms Girotto convicted Welch and sentenced him to a three-year community corrections order with the condition he complete 100 hours of community service.

Welch was also disqualified from driving for 12 months.