A Hastings man has been convicted after a dramatic head-on dirt bike collision with a friend that resulted in multiple fractures to both riders.
Zane Dion Bell, 30, who still had his forearm in a cast following the accident on March 30 this year, yesterday appeared in Hastings District Court and pleaded guilty to a charge of careless driving causing injury.
Bell and his friend Chas Enright were riding the off-road bikes close to Kaiwaka, near Whangarei, when Bell pulled ahead.
At 7.30pm, with the light fading and dust being kicked up by Bell, Enright purposely dropped behind to put some distance between the two.
Bell, unaware, turned his Yamaha YZF450 bike around to check on his friend's whereabouts and headed back at speed. With the two now heading towards each other with no lights to alert the other of the approach, they collided head on, knocking each other off their bikes.