‘No time to react’ ahead of collision
A woman who crashed head-on into another vehicle may meet with the people she injured, including a 70-year-old woman, to understand how the crash impacted them.
Seddon woman Caryll Mcpherson, 48, has been referred to restorative justice before she is sentenced next month on two charges of careless driving causing injury. Mcpherson collided with a vehicle on State Highway 1, south of Blenheim, after losing control of her Mazda at the intersection of Redwood Pass Rd near the Smith’s overbridge on February 19.
A police summary of facts said Mcpherson’s vehicle started drifting left, leaving the lane towards the end of a bend, as she travelled south towards Seddon.
Her vehicle began veering across the road and travelling into the oncoming lane. At the same time, two occupants of a Nissan vehicle were travelling towards Mcpherson on the correct side of the road.
Police prosecutor Mark Harris said the occupants of the car had ‘‘no time to react’’ before the two vehicles collided in a head-on crash.
Emergency services were called to the crash about 3pm and firefighters cut two people free at the scene. A 70-year-old woman in the Nissan was flown to Wellington Hospital by the Nelson Marlborough Rescue Helicopter Trust in a critical condition.
Mcpherson and the occupant of the other vehicle were taken to Wairau Hospital, in Blenheim, by ambulance where they were treated. The road was temporarily reduced to one lane after the crash.
Mcpherson was represented by duty solicitor Bryony Millar and would reappear at the Blenheim District Court on May 14 for sentencing.
Judge Ruth referred Mcpherson for restorative justice before then, which would see her meet the two people in the Nissan to make amends.
The people in the Nissan could refuse to meet Mcpherson.
Dairy robbery arrests
Two men have been arrested following an aggravated robbery at a Blenheim dairy in December last year. A staff member at the Hospital Store On The Spot dairy was robbed at knife point on December 29, 2017 and the suspect took off with the till. A 17-year-old and a 27-year-old have been arrested in relation to the robbery at the Maxwell Rd store. The teenager was arrested on March 14 and charged with aggravated robbery while the man in his 20s was arrested on Thursday and charged with being an accessory after the fact. The 17-year-old will appear in the Blenheim Youth Court and the 27-year-old will appear at the Blenheim District Court on Monday. Police are not looking for anyone else in connection with the robbery. Marlborough police would also like to thank the public for their continued help in solving the crime.
Abortion review
The Law Commission is calling for feedback about New Zealand’s abortion laws, as the Government considers taking abortion out of the Crimes Act. Abortion is currently illegal unless the pregnancy is a risk to the physical or mental health of the mother, if there’s a risk the child would be seriously handicapped, if the child is the result of incest, or the woman is ‘‘severely subnormal’’. The Law Commission will review the criminality of the law, the grounds for abortion and the accessibility of services. The public are invited to submit feedback on the Law Commission website www.lawcom.govt.nz, or by emailing alr@lawcom.govt.nz before May 18.
Bus survey
People are urged to take a survey about Blenheim’s bus service as the Marlborough District Council reviews its current bus routes. A bus to and from the Marlborough Airport and the new Boulevard Park on Taylor subdivision are among ideas suggested in the survey. Councillor Jenny Andrews said the survey was an opportunity to collect feedback on ways to cater to the town’s growing population. The survey will also try to establish whether other bus services in the region are likely to be viable. To find the survey on the council website go to www.marlborough.govt.nz, or you can request a paper copy from the Blenheim and Picton libraries, or the Blenheim bus driver. The submission period ends on May 4, 2018.
Pollution charges
A prominent winemaker and a composting company will defend pollution charges at a jury trial. Yealands Family Wines founder Peter Yealands and his son’s composting company, Growco, have pleaded not guilty to charges relating to the alleged discharge of winemaking byproduct grape marc. The jury trial will take place at the Environment Court in Blenheim on October 1, 2018. Marlborough businessman Michael Gifford also denied charges relating to the alleged discharge of grape marc and awaits a pre-trial hearing on July 16. Babich Wines and viticulturist John Wayne Sowman are to appear for a hearing on grape marc charges on April 24.