Auckland cyclist death: Hannah Tilsley accused of causing Levi James' death

Levi James was 19 when he died in March. Photo / Supplied

A young motorist accused of causing the death of a teen cyclist near an Auckland roundabout by opening the door of her parked car appeared in court for the first time today.

Ponsonby resident Hannah Lousie Tilsley, 23, could face up to three months' imprisonment and a $4500 fine if convicted of operating a vehicle carelessly, causing death.

Her lawyer confirmed that the charge relates to an allegation she opened her vehicle's door while the vehicle was parked, and that the door hit a cyclist, causing him to be hit by another car.

Tilsley did not enter a plea today while appearing in Auckland District Court before a registrar. She was remanded at large until her next appearance.

Nineteen-year-old Levi James was biking down Manukau Rd, believed to be on his way to visit his grandmother, when he was killed near the Royal Oak roundabout on March 5.

The roundabout at Royal Oak from Manukau Rd, where Levi James died in March 2021. Photo / Supplied

His mother told the Herald he had only recently bought the bicycle so he could start training for triathlons.

The Auckland Grammar School old boy had been studying engineering and loved restoring old motorbikes with his father and making music, Kim James said.

"He'd usually get inspiration quite late at night so quite often we'd be saying to Levi, 'You know, maybe not now [is] the time to get the amp on and the music going.'

"He was always fully committed to whatever he was interested in at the time."

The stretch of road where James died has been subject to safety concerns and analysis for many years, with previous and ongoing suggestions that more must be done to protect cyclists. Between 2014 and 2018, Auckland Transport recorded 61 crashes within a 50-metre radius of the roundabout. It included one resulting in a fatality and another with a serious injury.

"The roads have been dangerous for all users, for walkers for cyclists and for motorists as there's quite a significant amount of traffic trying to get around at once," Bike Auckland chair Tony Mitchell said after James' death.

"Manakau Road is viewed by Auckland Transport as a main cycling route, and therefore should be improved for cyclists at some stage. Our question is why hasn't that happened already."