Taufua fatal crash case waits on psychiatric report
A woman accused of causing an horrific road crash in the Gold Coast hinterland that left three people dead has undergone psychiatric assessment in jail as the case crawls through the courts.
Uiatu “Joan” Taufua allegedly fled from a police patrol car on December 30, 2022, before hitting an oncoming vehicle just minutes later carrying Steffi Zimmer, her mother Susan Zimmer and her mother’s former partner Chris Fawcett.
All three died at the scene. Taufua, the crash’s only survivor, was charged with manslaughter, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, evade police and unlicensed driving.
A charge of mid-range drink-driving was added at a subsequent court appearance in March last year. Taufua is the mother of Brisbane Broncos star Payne Haas and rising Gold Coast Titans player Klese.
There is no suggestion either of the Haas brothers had any involvement in the collision.
Taufua was on parole after serving one month of a ninemonth sentence for assaulting security guards at the Gold Coast’s Star Casino when she allegedly veered on to the wrong side of the road at high speed and collided with the car carrying Ms Zimmer and her family at Bonogin in the Gold Coast hinterland.
Her arrest triggered a “return to prison” clause to serve the rest of her sentence.
That time has since been completed, but Taufua has remained in custody.
During a brief mention of the case at Southport Magistrates Court on Thursday, Magistrate Jane Bentley was told Taufua had been the subject of a psychiatric assessment earlier this month.
Acting as a town agent for Sydney-based law firm Kings Law, Gabby King from TWC Lawyers requested a further adjournment for that assessment to be further analysed ahead of the next court appearance.
The case was adjourned until April 18.