Armless man denies dangerous driving

An armless Tauranga motorist allegedly caught travelling at 121km/h while using his feet to control the car has pleaded not guilty to a charge of dangerous driving.

Colin Raymond Smith, a 31-year-old beneficiary, was excused from making a second appearance this morning before a Tauranga District Court registrar. He has been remanded for a status hearing on June 20.

Smith, who was born without arms, was stopped for speeding on State Highway 2 mid-morning on March 23.

When police clocked him exceeding the 100km/h speed limit he was allegedly using one foot to steer and the other to operate the accelerator and brake pedals.

The constable who pulled him up reportedly noticed the driver's seat reclined and a foot up on the dashboard, before seeing the torso without arms.

Although one of the two passengers in the car had a licence, Smith had never held one and the vehicle was not his. Police said he told the shocked highway patrol officer he had been driving with the use of his feet for years without any problems.

Smith was issued on the spot with a $170 speeding ticket and forbidden from driving.

The charge of driving in a manner which might have been dangerous to the public was laid several weeks later. Smith did not enter a plea during a brief initial appearance before a court registrar earlier this month.

- NZPA