Fatal crash driver will be ‘haunted for life’

A teenager will be ‘‘haunted’’ for the rest of his life after crashing his car and killing his friend, a judge says.

Dylan Paul Boustridge, now 18, and four friends, including 19-year-old Danny O’Donnell, were headed to Cape Foulwind to swim at a beach when he crashed his car near Westport on March 2.

Boustridge, who is from Rangiora in North Canterbury, was travelling about 124kmh and became distracted trying to adjust a phone charger when he lost control.

The Subaru Legacy car, by now travelling about 113kmh, left Tauranga Bay Rd on a sweeping right-hand bend and plunged down a bank about 4pm.

O’Donnell died at the scene. Three other passengers were injured – one suffered a broken leg and another a foot injury.

Boustridge was sentenced in the Westport District Court on Thursday to 12 months of supervision and 200 hours’ community work, and was disqualified from driving for 18 months.

The court heard he was driving on a suspended learner licence.

He had exceeded the demerit point limit for driving unac- companied on his learner licence.

Judge Noel Walsh read from a victim impact statement by O’Donnell’s mother. In it she said Boustridge would have to live with killing her son ‘‘for the rest of his life’’.

When she woke up, her son was the first thing she thought about.

‘‘I think about Danny all the time,’’ she wrote. ‘‘Generally, I am sad all the time.’’

She did not want Boustridge to go to jail. ‘‘I don’t see the point in ruining another life,’’ she wrote.

Judge Walsh said a combination of factors caused the crash, including a powerful car, ‘‘teenage bravado’’, immaturity, high speed and inattention.

‘‘You, as a young man, will be haunted by Danny’s death . . . for the rest of your life,’’ the judge told Boustridge.

Lawyer Doug Taffs said after the crash Boustridge immediately told police that he was the driver. He offered to formally identify O’Donnell’s body to spare the Waiau teen’s family the task.

It indicated ‘‘ultimate acceptance’’ of what had happened, Taffs said.

Boustridge’s grandfather, mother and sister were in court. In a statement, Boustridge’s mother said her son ‘‘made some bad choices that week that had catastrophic consequences’’.

‘‘For Dylan, it will be a life sentence,’’ she said.

Her son was ‘‘just a normal happy teen with a bright future’’, who had never been in trouble before, she said.

Boustridge was convicted on one charge of careless driving causing death, three charges of careless driving causing injury and one of driving with a suspended licence.

O’Donnell’s family declined to attend a restorative justice meeting with Boustridge but it was attended by a local constable in their place.