Chinese driver charged after fatal crash

Hastings District Court. PHOTO/FILE

A Chinese woman has been charged with causing the death of a motorcyclist after allegedly losing control of her car and colliding with him near Napier.

Earlier in the year a motorcyclist died on the side of State Highway 5, just north of Napier, after he was thrown from his motorbike when the car the woman was driving hit him.

The woman, who has interim name suppression, faces one charge of driving dangerously causing death.

Yesterday at Hastings District Court the woman was remanded for another court appearance next month.

Hawke's Bay Today understands the Chinese woman, who is in her twenties, is in New Zealand on a working visa.

Senior Constable Cory Ubels said the woman was driving the car north, in the same direction as the motorcyclist, along the highway when the crash happened.

Ministry of Transport provisional data for 2015 showed there was one crash fatality caused by an overseas driver, while there were 18 injuries caused by overseas drivers.

Overall, there were 14 deaths in the region and 439 injuries caused from crashes.

In June 2014 it was reported overseas drivers were involved in 20 crashes which caused injuries in Hawke's Bay during the two previous years.

New Zealand Transport Agency figures showed crashes involving foreign drivers made up 2.3 per cent of all 860 injury crashes in the region during 2012 and 2013.

In 2013, overseas drivers were involved in about 558 crashes nationwide that resulted in death or injury.

In about 75 per cent of crashes, including 11 fatal accidents, visitors were found at fault. Some rental vehicles now had "keep left" stickers on dashboards and safety briefings were given to tourists.