Careless driver says sorry to injured cyclists

A 21-year-old has been sentenced after swerving across a road without looking and ploughing into four cyclists.

On November 28, Taranaki man Joshua Clive Michael Avery was trying to find a park near his workplace in Bell Block, New Plymouth.

At the same time, a group of cyclists were on a training ride on De Havilland Dr, travelling at speeds of 40 kilometres per hour.

About 5.45pm, Avery spotted an empty space, stopped his car and then reversed into an access road. He then drove directly across the road towards the parking spot.

Avery failed to see the cyclists and his car crossed directly into their path. The cycling group had no time to stop or swerve out of the way of the defendant’s ute.

Of the four victims involved, the most seriously injured spent two weeks in hospital and needed surgery to fix a serious fracture to his leg.

He also suffered a broken right wrist and extensive tendon damage which needed an operation.

As a result of the crash, his specialised racing bike, valued at $5000, was damaged. An insurance pay out only covered $2000, so an additional sum to make up the shortfall was sought in reparation by police.

The second victim suffered concussion, damage to his wrist and several of his ribs were also bruised.

The third cyclist, who crashed directly into the cab of the ute, suffered deep bruising to his right shoulder, along with cuts and bruises.

The fourth man was also badly bruised and received cuts to his right hip and pelvis.

Avery pleaded guilty to four charges of careless driving causing injury during a previous appearance in the New Plymouth District Court.

On Wednesday, lawyer Turitea Bolstad said the defendant had met with the crash victims at a restora- tive justice meeting, where he had taken full responsibility for what he had done and apologised for what happened.

Community magistrate Lesley Jensen congratulated the defendant on his attempts to put things right after the accident.

‘‘It was pretty positive for you being able to give something back to the cyclists you injured,’’ she said.

Avery was ordered to pay $3350 in reparation and was disqualified from driving for six months.