Maungatapu fatal crash driver on drugs

Traffic backed up following the fatal crash on SH29A last year.

A Mount Maunganui woman who drove into three people, killing two and seriously injuring the third, has admitted to driving under the influence of drugs.

Nicole Marie Reynolds, 40, appeared in Tauranga District Court today where she pleaded guilty to two charges of drug impaired driving causing death and one charge of drug impaired driving causing injury at SH29 Maungatapu on July 29 last year.

She told police she didn't know she had hit someone until her windscreen smashed.

A blood test found Reynolds was driving under the influence of methadone, a Class B drug, and the class C drugs Lorazepam and Clonazepam.

Reynolds is pleading not guilty to a charge of stealing the pill bottle that contained the class C drugs.

A witness told police Reynolds' vehicle was swerving within its lane and travelling at 85km/h in the 100km/h zone shortly before she struck the people who were changing a flat tyre.

The impact of the crash killed Kenny McCrae, 52, and Leigh Antoinette Rhodes, 60.

Leigh was standing near the rear of the vehicle waving a white wheel cover to alert traffic to the two men changing the rear tyre.

Reynolds struck Leigh, throwing her 30 metres from where she was standing and then struck Kenny, and Leigh's partner Lance Carter.

Leigh died a short time later and Kenny died at the scene.

In court today, Judge Peter Rollo convicted Reynolds and remanded her on bail until sentencing March 27 for sentencing at 2.15pm.

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11 comments

banned for life

Posted on 02-02-2017 11:30 | By hapukafin

Reynolds should be banned from driving for along with other punishment due


Road Changing

Posted on 02-02-2017 12:26 | By Dino

..and based on the above we are spending a stupid amount of money to "fix a road" that is being held to blame for the loss of life......this is a classic example of people error not the road - TCC/NZTA our money could be better spent elsewhere.......


Unbelievable

Posted on 02-02-2017 12:46 | By overit

What a stupid cow, innocent people taken out by such stupidity. I bet she straightened up pretty quickly. Lock her away forever.


This is terrible

Posted on 02-02-2017 13:25 | By old trucker

Kenny was me BESTEST MATE, i knew about this before it was printed,Thanks No1,Phew, 10-4 out.


Justice

Posted on 02-02-2017 13:28 | By thebrad

this bottom feeder needs to be put for away for life she has know use in society. Kenny was a mate of mine and she killed him. She needs to riot in jail for the rest of her crappy life.


Why 'bail' ?

Posted on 02-02-2017 13:43 | By Mackka

The fact that she has been granted 'bail' would indicate that a jail term will be an unlikely outcome. Probably some pathetic sentence like home detention and 6 months loss of licence.!So much for justice!


Throw the key away

Posted on 02-02-2017 14:57 | By maildrop

This is a much much bigger problem than a few crap foreign drivers. Same with mobile phone use.


Never be allowed a Licence

Posted on 02-02-2017 17:02 | By Taffy

Banned for life ,her car should be crushed and a fairly long jail sentence with no parole.Here,s hoping but I won,t be holding my breath!


Life

Posted on 02-02-2017 17:25 | By Ness

She is a killer and should be treated like one, prison is were she should go and for a long time, to many of these junkies are getting away with crime.


I shake my head!

Posted on 02-02-2017 17:42 | By smurf

Taken 2 lives and severely altered the third life and she gets bail. Should have been charged with manslaughter to start with. Minimum of 5 years jail at least but we all know there will be a sob story and it will no doubt be home detention. Pathetic!!


Drug testing

Posted on 04-02-2017 19:17 | By Kenworthlogger

Sounds like they need to bring in random drug testing via tongue scrape just like Australia. But no we concentrate on people 4km over the speed limit......,,


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