Top cop admits scary driving
Overtaking at speed frightens family and could have caused serious crash. Tony Wall reports.
The unsafe driving of a senior officer can finally be revealed after police released details under the Official Information Act.
Rotorua area commander Inspector Bruce Horne, who retired on December 31, had refused to comment about the June incident and his bosses at national headquarters had also refused to provide details, saying it was before the courts.
But after an Official Information Act request by the Sunday StarTimes, police released a summary of facts presented to the Whakatane District Court.
It revealed Horne pleaded guilty to impeding another vehicle by moving into its line of passage while overtaking.
The summary describes how a man and his wife and children were travelling home from Whakatane to Kawerau at 3.50pm on June 8 when they approached a two-lane roundabout near The Hub shopping centre on SH30.
They went through the roundabout, sticking to the left lane, and were beginning to merge as the two lanes narrowed to one. It is an 80kmh zone.
At that point a black Holden Commodore driven by Horne overtook them at speed just as the lanes were merging, passing close to the family’s car.
The complainant was given a fright and was forced to pull left and brake. An oncoming vehicle was seconds away from having to take evasive action.
The summary said the manoeuvre ‘‘had potential to cause a serious crash’’ and was a ‘‘poor example to the public’’.
The other driver followed Horne’s Holden along SH30 and estimated its speed at 120kmh. He did not seem to slow down through the settlement of Awakeri, which is restricted to 70kmh.
Awakeri is 13km from Whakatane, which suggests the other driver would have also been speeding in order to keep up with the Commodore.
The summary quoted Horne as saying he passed the other car well before the lanes merged.
A source said Horne was concerned about the other driver’s behaviour before he passed him.
The summary said Horne had not previously appeared before the court but ‘‘does have previous infringement history’’.
A Whakatane court spokesperson said Horne appeared before a magistrate on December 13, pleaded guilty and was fined $150.
The maximum fine for the offence under the Land Transport Act is $1000.
Police refused a Sunday StarTimes request for details of Horne’s infringement history, citing privacy grounds.
Horne said in a statement that there were ‘‘two sides to the story’’ but ‘‘unfortunately for a number of reasons I am not able to tell mine at this time’’.
He said some of the commentary in the media ‘‘has not been accurate or reflective of either my values, or my career’’.
He was grateful for the support of police staff, local iwi and the Rotorua community.
‘‘They have been beside me through recent personal challenges, but more importantly, have worked alongside me on the shared vision we have had for Rotorua over the past decade.’’
When announcing his decision to retire in November, Horne said it had nothing to do with the driving incident. He had been considering quitting for some time and would take up new opportunities.