No conviction for drink-driving

A coroner’s son who injured two people while driving over the limit has avoided a conviction.

Floyd Klang na Nagara, 19, was discharged without conviction on two charges of causing injury while drink-driving, but was disqualified from driving for 12 months after being sentenced in the Palmerston North District Court yesterday.

The judge said na Nagara was a ‘‘man of promise’’ who made an error of judgment.

Na Nagara, son of Coroner Carla na Nagara and a rep cricketer, pulled over on Palmerston North’s Te Awe Awe St in March to let a passenger out, before attempting a U-turn. A motorcyclist with a passenger, travelling behind him, was unable to avoid his car when it pulled out.

One person on the bike suffered compressed ribs, severe concussion and a badly grazed thigh, while the other fractured their left arm, and broke bones in a wrist and hand.

Na Nagara had 483 micrograms of alcohol per litre of breath. The legal limit for someone under 20 is zero micrograms and the adult limit is 250mcg.

He told police he had been drinking the night before, but had his last drink somewhere near midnight.

In court yesterday, Carla na Nagara spoke on her son’s behalf and said the incident was devastating for their family.

Judge Lance Rowe said it was an error of judgment by a young man.

‘‘When we drive we sign the social contract to keep each other safe on the road – to look out for each other. To injure someone while driving is a serious breach of that contract.’’

Rowe said people were not entitled to take risks with alcohol when driving.

But he said that na Nagara’s future work prospects would be affected by a conviction. ‘‘You are a man of promise.’’ Na Nagara had already paid $20,000 reparation to the victims, had gone through restorative justice and apologised.