But the 28-year-old couldn’t read all the road signs written in English.
Unlike Mr Hullo, Pan was not familiar with the back route to Lorne. The inland road is a slightly faster, more direct route than the winding Great Ocean Road, but it’s more often used by locals who know its undulating hills and dicey history.
Both drivers reached the intersection of Birregurra-Forrest and Colac-Lorne roads just before 11am.
But Pan did not stop. He careered through the crossroad - straight past a stop sign - and at nearly 100km/h collided with the Ford.
Mr Hullo did not survive the impact. His car was left unrecognisable.
Crime scene photographs of George Hullo's car after the 2017 crash.
Mr Hullo’s brother Steve was celebrating Christmas with his partner’s family on Boxing Day when he received a call with the devastating news.
“I can’t help think of all the things I want to tell George, all the conversations I want to have," he would tell Victoria’s County Court.
“Our dreams of growing old together as brothers are all gone."
Pan’s rear seat passenger, 39-year-old Xiao Yan Yu, suffered multiple fractures to her spine and critical internal injuries.
She had to be cut free from the crumbled Toyota Camry and flown to The Alfred hospital.
Fifteen months on she is still unable to work, with no foreseeable change.
On Monday, Pan was sentenced to three years and four months jail for dangerous driving causing death and dangerous driving causing serious injury.
Yadong PanCredit:Eddie Jim
Pan must serve at least two years in prison before being eligible for parole, although he's likely to be deported upon his release.
Pan told the court he did not know that the “rumble strips” on Colac-Lorne Road approaching the intersection served as a warning and were a signal for drivers to slow down.
In China, those rumble strips signal an upcoming slope in the road, he said through an interpreter.
“I looked at my GPS and it didn’t show anything. The GPS gave me the impression I was on the main road.”
Pan had only been in Australia for seven months after being granted a temporary, four-year 457 work visa that allowed him to live in Colac and work at the local lamb slaughterhouse.
He’d obtained an international driver’s licence in Hong Kong shortly before heading to Australia.
According to VicRoads, foreign nationals on temporary visas can drive in Victoria without ever obtaining a Victorian driver’s licence.
But those on permanent visas have to undergo and pass an Australian driving test within six months to continue to legally drive.
The process is currently under review.
Pan’s barrister Bradley Newton argued that because others had gone through the same intersection without stopping it reduced his client’s moral culpability.
Problematic intersection. Chinese signage was erected earlier this year.Credit:Joe Armao
Just hours before Pan's crash, on Christmas Eve, another foreign driver had been travelling through the same four way intersection when they collided with a car carrying a mother and her 12-year-old daughter from Glen Huntly. The pair sustained serious injuries and both had to be flown to specialist Melbourne hospitals and just days later another two vehicles crashed.
“This is a gentleman who has a very limited experience of driving in Australia,” Mr Newton said.
“He’s discussed with me the various differences to his experience driving in China.”
In a statement submitted to the court, Pan apologised to his victim’s families.
He said he often thinks about the scene before the crash and can still recall the shrieks of his injured passenger.
The 28-year-old pleaded guilty to one charge each of dangerous driving causing death and dangerous driving causing serious injury.
“There is no way I can forgive myself. We can never go back to the life like before.”
Judge Gerard Mullaly raised serious concerns over Pan’s eligibility to drive.
“They’re able to drive with no capacity to read rumble strips and signs with their Google maps in Chinese,” Judge Mullaly said.
“That’s concerning.”
In sentencing Pan, Judge Mullaly said his crimes warranted time in jail.
“It was a completely avoidable tragedy,'' he said.
"Having experienced Australian life you became convinced this was the place you wanted to be. Your future plans in this aspect are now problematic."
Steve Hullo, whose brother was killed in a crash.Credit:Simon Schluter
At his brother’s home there are constant reminders of the life Mr Hullo once lived.
In pride of place in the front yard towering olive trees thrive, a gift to the family during Mr Hullo’s time working at a Geelong nursery selling plants.
“We call them George’s trees,” his younger brother said.
“My sons will always know.”
George Hullo
Steve Hullo said his family's pain and anguish was exacerbated by the fact that Pan could obtain a licence despite being unable to read road signs.
He called for the government to step in and hold people to account.
“We both had a love for the coast and found a lot of peace there. This is where he was going on the day he died," he said.
“I can’t ever call him again and we can’t laugh together. I'd even welcome and argument with him now.
“We miss him every day.”
Erin covers crime for The Age. Most recently she was a police reporter at the Geelong Advertiser.
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