Wife finds forgiveness over death

‘‘I want no other family hurt like we were.’’ Joan Carter, whose husband Warren was killed

A woman whose husband died when his car was hit by an army Unimog driven by a trainee driver has been hailed for her bravery, compassion and forgiveness.

But she wants answers from the New Zealand Defence Force about why it let someone who only held their full driver licence for five weeks behind the wheel of a 6-tonne vehicle on a rural road.

Dayne Jordan Pennington, a 24-year-old soldier, was granted a discharge without conviction in the Palmerston North District Court yesterday on a charge of careless driving causing the death of Masterton man Warren Anthony Carter.

Carter died when the car he was driving was hit at the intersection of Watershed and Ashhurst roads, just outside of Palmerston North, by a Unimog Pennington was driving on August 10.

Pennington was doing the heavy-vehicle driving course from Linton Military Camp at the time.

He slowed before the intersection by engine braking, but missed the brake pedal when it came time to stop. He instead hit the clutch, before getting his feet stuck under the pedals, rolling into the intersection.

Carter’s wife Joan Carter, reading her victim impact statement in court, said she did not want Pennington to be convicted.

Although losing her husband of 50 years had been tough physically and emotionally – ‘‘we only now have memories, instead of times to look forward to’’ – she did not want ‘‘a young driver’s future to be crushed by this accident’’.

Her husband was a Rotarian known for his work in the community.

‘‘I hope one day people recognise [Pennington] with the same love, respect and admiration as so many have expressed for Warren,’’ she said.

However, she was less kind when it came to the Defence Force.

She said it took her weeks of asking until someone from the army, chief of army Major General Peter Kelly, visited her.

The army had failed to treat her and her family with basic courtesy and compassion, and she wanted the Defence Force to create a policy for how it treated civilians in similar situations.

‘‘I want no other family hurt like we were.’’

She also questioned the drivertraining programme, noting Pennington had only had his full driver licence for five weeks.

‘‘I’m still waiting to hear the outcome of those issues.’’

The Standard has asked the Defence Force to respond to Joan Carter’s comments.

Judge Jim Large praised Joan Carter’s attitude toward Pennington.

He read a quote from her to Pennington at a restorative justice meeting: ‘‘There seems no point at all in ruining your life... Go out and live the best life you can’’.

‘‘I think you are an incredibly brave woman with a huge heart,’’ the judge told her.

‘‘The community has a lot to thank you for, for giving this young man another opportunity. Not many people would be that generous.’’

Pennington’s driving was at the lower end of carelessness. A conviction would affect his career in the army and intended career path as a police officer, the judge said.

‘‘It is an incredibly tragic case. The consequences of your fault were completely out of anyone’s expectations,’’ Large told Pennington.