Airborne antics land driver in court

Samantha Anne Mueller drove over speed bumps on Mount Maunganui's Marine Parade at over 100km/h so she could get airborne, Tauranga District Court has been told.

The Tauranga teenager, who admitted charges of careless driving causing injury, lost control of her car and two friends along for the ride were hurt when the car crashed. One of them lost a finger.

Judge Thomas Ingram bailed her for sentencing later this month and ordered a pre-sentence report and victim impact statements from the two passengers.

Mueller, a tourism student from Otumoetai suburb, was driving her Honda Integra when she and her friends decided to drive over the road bumps at speed so the car would become airborne.

Mueller drove at the first two speed humps at 70 to 80km/h. At the second speed hump she lost control of the car, just managing to correct herself.

Then, encouraged by her friends, Mueller hit the accelerator hard and reached 109km/h in the 50km/h zone.

She hit the third speed bump and lost control and her car was airborne for about 30m.

The car then clipped a parked car, mounted a pedestrian beach boardwalk and travelled a further 26m before clipping a light. The car then rolled several times before coming to rest on its roof.

Mueller later told police she drove her car over the speed bumps for fun.

- BAY OF PLENTY TIMES