Car crash smashes passenger’s sternum

A disqualified driver who went through a red light crashed into a car full of passengers, one of whom suffered a broken sternum and smashed ribs.

Having not bothered to apply to get his licence back in May, after he was disqualified last year, Nicholas Tanner was driving along Pioneer Highway, Palmerston North, on June 24.

He stopped in the right-turning lane at the Botanical Rd intersection. While the light went green for straight-travelling traffic, the right-turn arrow stayed red.

Despite that, Tanner went to turn right into Botanical Rd and his car smashed into one going straight.

Both people in the other car were taken to hospital. Although the driver was relatively unscathed, the passenger was in hospital for three months after suffering a broken sternum, three broken ribs and a bruised lung.

Tanner was confused after the crash and unable to give a statement, while neither of the people in the other car gave victim impact statements to the Palmerston North District Court.

There, Tanner, 18, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to careless driving causing injury and driving without a licence.

Duty lawyer Mike Andrews said Tanner did not fully agree with the court summary of offending, but accepted he should not have gone through the light.

But Judge Jim Large said there was a bigger issue at play. ‘‘He should not have been driving at all. That’s the crux of it.’’

Andrews agreed, saying Tanner only needed to pay a fee to get his licence back.

Tanner’s previous convictions were related to driving, including one for dangerous driving. ‘‘All his problems seem to have started when he got his licence at 16 years of age,’’ Andrew said.

The judge convicted Tanner, fined him $200, disqualified him from driving for six months and ordered him to do 80 hours’ community work.