Charityfundraiser fatality
John Nelson Berridge having a judge-alone trial after woman’s death following collision
A trial witness claims a large motorbike was “flying across the road” after a crash which killed a woman on a charity motorbike ride in Napier. Another rider has pleaded not guilty to two charges of careless use of a motor vehicle – one involving the injury of his pillion rider, and one causing death.
Awitness has described a large motorcycle “flying across the road” immediately after a crash which killed a woman on a charity ride. Another has said there was an “implosion” as two motorcycles collided in front of her car as she drove along State Highway 51 northwards towards Napier.
Robyn Olive Peters, 51, of Waipawa, died after the collision during a bike rally around Napier to raise funds for the SPCA on February 7, 2021.
Auckland man John Nelson Berridge, 65, another motorcyclist on the rally, on Monday faced a judgealone trial in the Napier District Court.
He has pleaded not guilty to two charges of careless use of a motor vehicle — one involving the injury of his pillion rider, and one causing Peters’ death.
Judge Robert Spear was told the collision happened as the bikes were heading towards Napier, just north of the Awatoto Rod intersection at about 11.45am.
Police prosecutor Senior Sergeant Dean Goodall said that a number of the riders had dogs with them on the ride. Berridge’s pillion passenger had a small white dog with her in a special harness.
Goodall said the prosecution case was that Berridge pulled over to the side of the road and then commenced a U-turn across the road, “directly into the path” of Peters’ bike.
“Ms Peters was unable to avoid Mr Berridge’s bike and the two bikes collided,” Goodall said. “Ms Peters died of injuries at the scene.”
Berridge’s counsel Alistair Haskett said the defence would deal with the movements of the riders, “and whether the prosecution has established whether my client was careless”, Haskett said.
Cindy McKinnie, a member of Peters’ Iron Sisters motorcycling group, described seeing a large motorcycle flying across the road towards the seaward side of the highway, riderless and about a metre off the ground.
“I didn’t know whose motorbike it was. It was a BMW,” she said.
The court was told earlier that Berridge had been riding a 1200cc BMW motorcycle. Peters was riding alone on a Honda VTR 250.
McKinnie said that after seeing the motorcycle flying across the road, she stopped and went to the assistance of an injured woman lying on the road with a small, white dog, which appeared to have landed on top of her.
She said she took the dog and held it, but close enough to the woman for her to know that it was there.
“She kept repeating, ‘I don’t know why he would do a U-turn there’. She said that a few times,” McKinnie said.
Another witness, Jane Francis, said she saw an “implosion” as two motorcycles collided in front of her car as she was driving towards Napier with two friends.
“The left-hand bike flew up in the air with the rider. At that time, the right-hand bike I couldn’t see … the whole shock and focus was on seeing that left-hand bike flying up into the air.”
Francis said that she went to the aid of a woman rider who was lying face-down on the ground, and stayed with her until a doctor took over.
“She was the lady who subsequently died?” Asked Goodall. “Correct,” said Francis. Peters’ sister Joy Thompson, who was also on the ride, said she ran to her sister, who was lying on her stomach, after the crash but a doctor, a firefighter and a nurse were soon on hand to tend to her. She was directed to report on the other conscious but injured casualties, which she did, calling back details to the doctor about their conditions and encouraging them to keep still.
Both the prosecution and defence questioned witnesses about the position near the crash of a motorcyclesidecar combination parked with a dog sitting in the sidecar. The trial is continuing.