Wind cause of bus crash in which five tourists died

A strong crosswind caused the death of five Chinese tour bus passengers killed in a crash outside Rotorua in September.

They were flung from the vehicle as the wind sweeping through the Mamaku range caused the driver to lose control, sending the bus off the road and down a bank.

That driver, Junwei Zhang, 40, appeared in Rotorua District Court yesterday to enter guilty pleas to 13 charges in total, five of operating a vehicle carelessly causing death and eight of operating a vehicle carelessly causing injury.

One of those killed was a child.

His appearance and pleas come almost 10 months since the fatal crash that took place on State Highway 5, close to Rotorua, on September 4 last year.

The bus had 27 people on board when it rolled off the road.

Zhang was convicted on all charges and will be sentenced on September 21. Before entering the dock Zhang bowed before Judge Marie McKenzie.

The summary of facts outlines how

Zhang was driving the bus in wet and windy conditions through a bend with an 85km per hour recommended speed limit. It also notes there was ‘‘no evidence to suggest that the defendant was exceeding’’ that limit.

‘‘A strong crosswind caused the rear wheels of the bus to slip,’’ the summary said. ‘‘The defendant lost control of the bus.’’

It said Zhang then quickly steered right, causing the rear of the bus to swing left.

‘‘When the rear of the bus began to drift left, the defendant over corrected which caused the rear of the bus to swing right into the opposing lane and rotate 180 degrees. As the bus slid off the road, the rear passengers were jolted right, causing five passengers to be propelled out of the right hand rear windows.’’

The bus then slid down a small bank and rolled on top of the five passengers, killing them. The summary also lists the ‘‘moderate to severe’’ injuries suffered by surviving passengers.

McKenzie ordered a pre-sentence report to examine suitability for electronic and home detention sentences. She also asked for a report to examine the issue of reparations.