‘Skylarking’ teenager caused fatal crash

A teenage driver who caused a fatal crash near Blenheim was swerving his parents’ SUV from side to side to get the attention of his seven passengers.

Flynn William Anthony Struthers, 17, told police he wanted his friends to turn their music down, as they headed for a swim on a sunny afternoon.

The car was going nearly 100kmh through Spring Creek when Struthers shook the steering wheel violently, and he lost control.

But Crown prosecutor Ruth Thomas said at his sentencing yesterday that Struthers was ‘‘skylarking’’ and ‘‘showing off to his friends’’.

He was seen doing a skid in the forecourt of a petrol station minutes before the crash, a police summary said.

Sixteen-year-old Lara Glover died in the crash on State Highway 1 on February 19. She and three other passengers were thrown from the car as it flipped and rolled five or six times. A fourth passenger was hurt in the crash.

Struthers admitted dangerous driving causing death and four counts of dangerous driving causing injury, and was sentenced at the Blenheim District Court yesterday.

His lawyer, Rob Harrison, said the teenager had attended restorative justice with the families of some of the passengers.

He completed a defensive driving course and offered $20,000 in an emotional harm payment to the families, to be paid at $50 a week.

He had no previous convictions and good character references.

Judge Ruth said Struthers showed genuine remorse and grief.

After discounts for a guilty plea and other mitigating factors, Judge Ruth convicted Struthers and sentenced him to six months’ community detention with a curfew from 8pm to 5am.

He also sentenced him to 100 hours’ community work, and ordered he pay $8000 to Jayne Glover, Lara’s mother, and the remaining $12,000 to be split among the other six families.

Struthers was disqualified from driving for three years.