Damage to the Hyundai Kona driven by Kiri Allan on Evans Bay Parade in Wellington on Sunday night. Photo / Supplied
Damage to the Hyundai Kona driven by Kiri Allan on Evans Bay Parade in Wellington on Sunday night. Photo / Supplied
New footage reveals the damage to Kiri Allan’s car after she hit a parked ute, shunting it metres forward, and leaving both vehicles wrecked.
The person filming the video says he owned the ute that the former Justice Minister smashed into on Evans Bay Parade in Roseneath on Sunday night.
As he surveys the scene late at night, a sole police car with lights flashing cordoning the road, he points out the extent of the crash’s impact.
“[The] front of my car was parked here at this line and my car has been moved forward... almost a full car park spot forward by getting bashed when it was parked with the handbrake up,” he said.
The ute had damage to a rear right panel and a flattened tyre.
Damage can be seen on a ute parked on Evans Bay Parade after Sunday night's crash involving Kiri Allan. Photo / Nick James
The video also shows Allan’s white Hyundai Kona electric car on an angle, in the middle of the road with a chunk of the left side of the front bumper missing and substantial damage to the left front wheel.
The missing chunk can be seen on the road directly behind the black ute.
The bonnet also appears shunted out of alignment from the impact of the crash.
That night, Allan’s career as a Cabinet Minister came to an end.
The former Cabinet minister was charged with careless use of a motor vehicle and refusing to accompany a police officer following the crash.
A white Hyundai Kona electric car provided driven by Kiri Allan sits on an angle, in the middle of Evans Bay Parade after the crash.
An infringement notice was also issued as Allan had excess breath alcohol between 250-400 micrograms (mcg) of alcohol per litre of breath.
Allan will appear in court at a later date.
The next day she resigned her ministerial portfolios before going on indefinite leave. Allan announced her resignation from politics the following day.
An apologetic Allan said she had failed many people who had placed their trust and confidence in her saying she had let down her electorate, party and all those who relied on her.
In announcing her retirement from politics on social media yesterday Allan said she needed to take time to “heal myself and chart a new course for my life”.
“I tried to dare greatly, my face marred by dust and sweat and blood and I hope that there were benefits for the people and places I represented by being in the arena.
“I erred, many times, and kept trying to battle for our people that needed the most.
“I’m not sure how long for, or if I’ll return, but my focus is now on trying to find a different kind of strength to serve our people and our place.”
Kiri Allan and Prime Minister Chris Hipkins. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Allan returned to her full ministerial duties on Monday last week after taking some time away from Parliament due in part to a relationship break-up.
While she was taking a few days of mental health leave, separate allegations were reported regarding her treatment of staff, which she strongly denied.
She then took another two weeks off over Parliament’s recess.
Prime Minister Chris Hipkins found out about the crash when he received a phone call from his chief of staff late on Sunday night. He then had a call from Police Minister Ginny Andersen.
“It was a pretty straightforward conversation,” Andersen said of her discussion with Hipkins. She said people who love and care for Allan were with her through the night following the incident.
Hipkins said he couldn’t provide details on where Allan was driving and why she had allegedly refused to accompany a police officer, except to say she was in a distressed state.
Allan had been receiving counselling and professional support when she returned to work.
“Ultimately, mental health is incredibly challenging.”
He referenced how she had recently taken time off and that she was “at the top of her game” at Parliament last week. However, he said things could flip without warning when mental health was involved.
Hipkins spoke to Allan early Monday morning and discussed how her position as a minister was untenable.
“It was a difficult conversation... she’s not in a good space,” Hipkins said of Allan.
