Truck driving ‘menace’ jailed over fatal crash

The mother of a woman killed in a horrific crash has told a truck driver he made a ‘‘terrible decision’’ that changed her life forever.

Leslie Thomas Poa, 58, was sentenced to 20 months in prison for causing a fatal accident in a failed overtaking manoeuvre on State Highway 7 near Maruia last November. He had been driving without the required amount of rest breaks.

Judge Richard Russell told Poa he was a ‘‘menace working in the trucking industry . . . and it was an accident waiting to happen’’.

Davila Renee Koroi, 32, of Motueka was killed in the accident, which also injured five of her co-workers. The group were ANZ staff members who were heading to Hanmer Springs for the weekend on a social trip.

Several victim impact statements were read out in the Nelson District Court on Monday.

Koroi’s mother said she now felt unsafe when driving at night, was unable to sleep properly, and was impatient and irritable at times.

She said her only daughter suffered ‘‘horrific’’ injuries in the accident.

‘‘Leslie, you made a terrible decision that night that has changed my life forever. Everything in my life has been taken away from me.’’

The driver of the van said he had no memory of the accident and was flown to Christchurch Hospital in a critical condition. He has since had five major surgeries, and it was three months after the accident before he was able to walk again.

‘‘You made a horrific judgment decision with the most horrific consequences,’’ he told Poa.

Poa earlier pleaded guilty to a charge of aggravated careless driving causing death and five counts of aggravated careless driving causing injury.

He also pleaded guilty to a number of charges relating to falsifying statements in a logbook, exceeding more than 13 hours in a work day and failing to have more than 10 hours continuous rest.

Defence lawyer Hannah Cuthill said Poa never wanted to drive a truck again and he did not have an explanation to offer as to why the accident occurred.

The judge ordered Poa to pay $12,000 in emotional harm reparation payments to the victims. He was disqualified from driving for three years and from holding a medium or heavy vehicle licence for seven years.