Crash chasing a hare injures friends

Three friends came away from a day out eating, drinking, and duck shooting with serious injuries after their host flipped the vehicle they were travelling in.

Reuben Jacob Allan was entertaining friends at his Oamaru farm when he turned his ute sharply in pursuit of a hare, losing control of the vehicle as it rolled completely over before coming to rest on its side, overnight July 25.

Allan, 44, pleaded guilty to three counts of causing injury by carelessly operating a vehicle when he appeared before Judge Joanna Maze in the Timaru District Court on Tuesday.

Defence lawyer Emma Middlemass said Allan had previously pleaded not guilty, but wished to vacate those pleas and admit the charges.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Ian Howard said the four friends had spent the day touring Allan’s farm, duck shooting, and enjoying food and alcohol, before huddling around an outdoor brazier and continuing to eat and drink late into the evening.

Running out of firewood around midnight, the friends decided to go together to get more from a shed on

Allan’s property about one kilometre away, Howard said.

As Allan drove the group towards the woodshed, he spotted a hare running about the paddock and gave chase.

‘‘The defendant has turned too hard to the left and lost control of the vehicle, which rolled completely over before coming to a rest of its left-hand side,’’ Howard said.

‘‘All four of the men extracted themselves from the rolled vehicle.

‘‘At the time, only [one crash victim] was suspected to have a serious injury. The group immobilised him on the ground and called emergency services.’’

Police were the first to arrive, crossing paths with Allan – who was driving a different vehicle – at the edge of the paddock about 1.40am.

‘‘The defendant pointed police in the direction of the crash then left the area, saying he had to get home.’’

The victim the group immobilised was airlifted to Christchurch Hospital, having dislocated two vertebrae in his neck and suffered ‘‘substantial bruising’’ to his face.

Another victim also came away from the crash with two dislocated vertebrae in his neck, as well as a fracture to his lower spine, perforated eardrum, and a minor brain bleed.

‘‘He was not transported to hospital on the night of the crash, but admitted himself to Timaru Hospital the following day after not feeling well,’’ Howard said.

The third victim was found to have a broken rib and bruised clavicle after self-referring for medical assistance in the days following the crash.

‘‘When spoken to by police at his home address some time after the crash, the defendant admitted to being the driver of the vehicle and accepted that he had consumed alcohol during the course of the night,’’ Howard said.

Allan was remanded at large for sentencing in the Oamaru District Court on February 10.

Judge Maze ordered that restorative justice be explored.

‘‘The defendant pointed police in the direction of the crash then left the area, saying he had to get home.’’ Police summary