Zheng allowed the car to drift across the centre line onto the wrong side of the road near Dillmanstown and, after swerving right to avoid an oncoming concrete tanker truck, the car careered off the road, through the bush and crashed into a culvert.
Passenger Lijun Ma, 23, from Shanghai, was killed in the crash, while the others were injured. The victims are still in hospital, suffering life-threatening injuries.
Lawyer Richard Bodle said Zheng could not remember what had happened before or during the crash.
However, evidence from the serious crash unit, as well as a witness, proved that she had been on the wrong side of the road.
Mr Bodle said Zheng had been in a tragic accident and was "completely bereft" as a result of it.
She was hoping to leave New Zealand as soon as possible to travel back to China.
Judge Noel Walsh said both the prosecution and the defence had taken a "pragmatic and compassionate approach" to dealing with the case.
"It was a tragic accident. I can see by your demeanour that you are bereft, and this is a tragedy that you will have to live with for the rest of your life," Judge Walsh told Zheng.
Police said today Miss Ma was the front seat passenger. The other passengers, both Chinese nationals, remained seriously ill in Christchurch Hospital with multiple life-threatening injuries.
All four women had been living and studying in Australia for several years.
Their families are currently making arrangements to travel to New Zealand.
Miss Ma's death has been referred to the Coroner.
- Greymouth Star
