A man accused of causing the death of an unborn baby and injuring the pregnant mother when he allegedly drove recklessly and under the influence of methamphetamine, is hoping to keep his name secret.
The pregnant woman — a passenger in a sedan driven by the accused — was reported
as being critically injured when the vehicle collided head-on with a ute on State Highway 35 near Oneroa Road, Wainui, mid-morning on April 27 this year. Three other people, including the sole occupant of the ute, are said to have suffered comparatively minor injuries. The highway was closed for about an hour while the crash scene was cleared.
The accused driver, who is in his early 20s, was charged after a serious crash inquiry. He made his first appearance on the charges in Gisborne District Court on Monday, a registrar granting him interim name suppression.
However, the man signalled he hoped to keep his name secret so was scheduled to make a formal application for continued name suppression, in front of a judge next week.
Counsel Alexandra Dawick intimated not guilty pleas to three charges arising out of the collision — driving recklessly causing death, driving recklessly causing injury, and driving while under the influence of a drug. Ms Dawick also intimated a not guilty plea to a separate, more recent, allegation of threatening to injure someone with intent to frighten them.
