Castle Hill fatal crash: Korean driver pays victims $30k, leaves NZ after ‘awful tragedy’

A tourist who admitted causing the crash that killed a West Coast mum-of-two paid her grieving family $30,000 in reparation before he left New Zealand last month.

Sue Johnson, 54, died at the scene of the crash at 5pm on Sunday, January 14.

She was with her husband Ian - when Korean national Taehyun Ko collided head on with their car on West Coast Rd.

The couple are well known in Greymouth - Sue Johnson was the librarian at John Paul II High School in Greymouth and her husband the principal of St Patrick’s School.

Ian Johnson was badly injured in the crash.

Police charged Ko - whose wife and 4-year-old son were in the car with him at the time of the crash - with one charge of careless driving causing death and one charge of careless driving causing injury.

He pleaded guilty to both charges at his first appearance in the Christchurch District Court.

The Herald earlier reported Ko and his family were travelling towards Christchurch in a rental car and stopped at Lake Lyndon to take photos.

At 4.45pm he got back behind the wheel of the Mitsubishi Outlander and pulled back onto the road.

At the same time, the Johnsons were heading in the opposite direction.

“A short time later the defendant crossed the centre line in the westbound lane and collided head-on with the victim’s vehicle,” court documents stated.

“As a result of the impact [Ian Johnson, who was driving] suffered a compound fracture to his right arm. The second victim was pronounced dead at the scene.”

Ko pleaded guilty to causing the fatal crash at his first court appearance. Photo / George Heard

Ko told police he “couldn’t remember what side of the road” he was driving on before the crash.

“However, he saw the other vehicle coming towards him and attempted to avoid the crash by steering his car to the right,” police said.

Further, he claimed, “the other vehicle then changed direction again and turned their vehicle back into the line of his vehicle”.

Ko “could not avoid the collision and they crashed”.

The tourist was facing a maximum sentence of three months’ imprisonment or a fine of $4500 for each charge.

He appeared before Judge Katie Elkin for sentencing on February 15.

Her sentencing notes have now been released to the Herald.

Judge Elkin described the crash as “a tragic accident” and revealed Ko and his family had only been in New Zealand for seven days when it happened.

Ko has been driving for 27 years in South Korea but had never driven in New Zealand before the family holiday.

Members of the Johnson family and their supporters were in court.

A Victim Impact Statement written by Ian Johnson was read.

In it he described being knocked unconscious upon impact and waking to see his wife “motionless, bruised, bleeding and injured” opposite him.

“I held onto my wife’s hand while trapped in our car, willing her to stay with me. I watched and prayed as the first responders tried desperately to resuscitate her. I held her hand the whole time,” Stuff reported from the sentencing hearing.

“I watched in agony as they covered her face while people worked to cut me from the wreckage.

“I was forced to leave my dead wife alone in our car as I was forcibly torn away from her to the ambulance and then helicopter.”

The Johnsons have two children together and would have celebrated their 25th year of marriage later this year.

According to Stuff, Johnson said in his statement that he could not even begin to comtemplate life without his wife and could not imagine ever being truly happy again.

Judge Elkin’s sentencing notes explain how she came to the decision on what consequences Ko should face.

“We have heard this afternoon of the utter heartbreak and devastation caused for the family and friends of the victims,” Judge Elkin began, speaking to the Johnson family.

“There is nothing that this court could say that will come close to understanding the pain you are going through.

“Your words have resonated loudly and clearly with everybody here.”

Judge Elkin said it was clear that Ko too was “deeply affected by the impact” of his actions.

“That will also be the case for your wife and child who were also injured in the crash,” she said.

“Your apology letter to Sue and Ian’s family speaks of your deep sense of remorse and regret.

“You did not intend for any of this to happen but, through your inattention, it did

“As your letter says, this is something that you too will carry for the rest of your life.”

Judge Elkin confirmed Ko had no previous criminal convictions.

He had indicated at his first court appearance he wanted to resolve the matter as soon as possible and return home to South Korea.

The judge credited him for accepting responsibility for his offending and pleading guilty to the charges at the earliest opportunity.

Ko was sentenced in the Christchurch District Court on February 15. Photo / George Heard

“You were also willing to engage in a restorative justice process but that was not possible in the circumstances,” she said.

While she commended his course of action after the offending, Judge Elkin said she could not overlook the seriousness of the charges.

“Cases of this nature are some of the most difficult to come before the court in terms of the legal and necessarily moral judgments that must be made,” she said.

“Often the defendant, as here, is an otherwise responsible citizen and the wrongful act will involve criminal culpability at the lower end of the available spectrum but the harm is so often tragically catastrophic.

“In such circumstances, the sentence imposed by the court will often be seen by the victim as a hopelessly inadequate recognition for the harm done.”

Judge Elkin said in other similar cases there had been aggravating factors for the offending driver such as speeding, drink-driving or driving while excessively fatigued.

“In others, there is conduct which shows selfish disregard for the safety of other road users. At the lowest end … are cases with no aggravating features but a momentary lapse in concentration or attention.

“In this case, there are no aggravating features before the court and, while it is unclear why or how the defendant came to be on the wrong side of the road, there is no evidence of intention, or of selfish disregard.”

Judge Elkin said in cases with no aggravating features it was “well-settled” that the appropriate response is generally disqualification combined with community work and or reparation.

She said given Ko’s personal circumstances, it would not be appropriate to impose a sentence of community work.

“Mr Ko, I do not think there is anything to be gained in the circumstances from having you stay here and complete such hours, nor do I consider that to do so would further the principles and purpose of sentencing,” she said.

“I say this in light of your past good character, your remorse, your acceptance of responsibility, your offer of reparation and the fact that you do not live in New Zealand.”

The crash happened on January 14 near Castle Hill in Canterbury. Photo / NZME

She told Ko that since the crash the Johnson family had incurred “significant financial costs” and would undoubtedly, additional expenses will continue for time to come.

“Mr Ko, you have offered to pay reparation to the victims’ family to assist with this and to, in some small way, reflect your remorse for what has occurred,” said Judge Elkin.

“You have the means and have offered to pay up to $30,000 of reparation within the next seven days.

“While this will no doubt assist, the court cannot, in this sentencing exercise, restore what has been lost to the victims financially or otherwise.

“There is no sentence that this court can pass which will undo what has been done.”

After taking all relevant factors into account, Judge Elkin convicted Ko on both charges and immediately disqualified from driving in New Zealand for a period of two years.

“And you are ordered to pay reparation in the amount of $30,000 to Ian Johnson,” she said.

“This is in the amount of $20,000 for the charge of careless driving causing death and $10,000 for the charge of careless driving causing injury.

“Once that money has been paid into the court … within the next seven days, your passport is to be returned to you.”

Ko did not seek ongoing name suppression.

He had been granted interim suppression at his first court appearance to allow him to notify his family and employer in South Korea.

“I know I speak on behalf of everyone in this court in saying that I am so deeply sorry for your and your family’s loss,” Judge Elkin said to the Johnson family.

“With a heavy heart and with my very best wishes for all of those caught in this awful tragedy, that concludes the court’s sentencing function today.”

Anna Leask is a Christchurch-based reporter who covers national crime and justice. She joined the Herald in 2008 and has worked as a journalist for 18 years. She writes, hosts and produces the award-winning podcast A Moment In Crime, released monthly on nzherald.co.nz