Court fury: Truckie ran red light, killing two
A truck driver who ran a red light, killed two people and injured three, was threatened in court as he pleaded guilty yesterday.
Emotions ran high at Christchurch District Court when Casey James Winter, 22, admitted charges of careless driving causing the death of Fulumoa Daly, 35, and his nephew Ezekiel Tanielu-Loua, 12, on April 5 this year.
“You’re dead,” Winter was told by one man leaving court.
Winter, of Christchurch, was driving on Yaldhurst Rd just after midnight in a yellow Isuzu truck. He went through a red light at the Russley Rd intersection and smashed into a red Holden Commodore driven by Daly.
Daly and Tanielu-Loua were fatally injured. Front-seat passenger Sefulu Annie Teevale-Daly, 36, suffered skull bruising and a lumbar spine fracture.
Two 3-year-olds in the back, ZionBenet Taliauli-Daly and Zachariah Tanielu-Fuatai, had skull fractures and traumatic brain injuries.
Winter told police he thought the light was green.
At Christchurch District Court yesterday, he admitted charges of careless driving causing death and causing injury.
Judge Tony Couch remanded him on bail to be sentenced on November 27, calling for a pre-sentence report and a referral to restorative justice.
“These are tragic and difficult matters to deal with,” Judge Couch said.
Winter was verbally threatened as victims’ distressed family members left court.
Tanielu-Loua had just moved from Christchurch to live permanently in Auckland two months earlier and was “really fitting in well” as a new Year 8 student at Otahuhu Intermediate.
After moving to Auckland as a family, the Tanielu-Louas were back in their hometown of Christchurch at the time for a family birthday.