Girl who lost both hands in crash back in China: INZ

QUEENSTOWN

THE 10yearold girl who lost both hands in a tour bus accident has returned to China with her family, Immigration New Zealand says.

Last Friday, a judge dismissed an appeal from the driver responsible for the crash. Chinese national Liang Fang had appealed against his sentence in the High Court at Invercargill, stating a refused discharge without a conviction could affect his visa.

Fang was driving a bus and trailer operated by Awing Travel NZ Ltd carrying 23 Chinese tourists when it crashed in Wilson Bay, near Queenstown, on January 21.

The girl, who has statutory name suppression, lost both her hands and a woman lost an arm as a result of the crash on the GlenorchyQueenstown Rd.

A source close to the family said the girl’s parents found out about the driver’s failed appeal through a WeChat group made up of people linked to the incident.

‘‘The father acknowledged that he’s aware, but he does not want to comment,’’ the source said.

‘‘The family are now back in China and they just want to move on with their lives. They want to look to the future rather than dwell on the past.’’

An INZ spokesman said the family departed New Zealand for China on July 5.

‘‘The family did not apply to INZ for residence. INZ understands a request for ministerial intervention was made,’’ the spokesman said.

The girl’s mother remembers vividly the day of the crash, on January 21. The Awing Travel NZ Ltd bus and trailer tipped on to its side and skidded for about 40m after Fang lost control near Queenstown.

Twentythree people were on board, including the driver, and 20 were treated for injuries by St John staff at Wilson Bay on the GlenorchyQueenstown road.

‘‘[My daughter] was on the ground and I rushed to her. My mind went blank when I picked her up and noticed that she didn’t have her arms,’’ the mother said.

When The New Zealand Herald visited the Auckland serviced apartment where the family was staying, the child was afraid to come out of her bedroom.

The mother said her daughter’s confidence and sense of security were shattered and the onceextroverted girl was now afraid of seeing people.

‘‘[She] loves dancing — she’s won many prizes in dancing competitions. Now she can’t feed herself, dress herself or even clean herself after a bathroom visit,’’ she said.

‘‘Dancing is the love of her life, and in that one moment of the crash, everything is taken away from her,’’ she said.

‘‘The reparation money, I’ll gladly give back every cent and fork out many times that, if [my daughter] can get her arms back,’’ she said. — The New Zealand Herald