Death crash driver jailed for three years

File Photo

A Bay of Plenty man is starting a three-year jail sentence after his excessive speed on the road resulted in the fiery death of his friend and the death of a six-month-old baby girl.

Karl Robinson, 23, who is wheelchair-bound following the crash, was given a week to get ready for prison when sentenced in Whakatane District Court last week.

Judge Thomas Ingram also disqualified him from driving for five years and him ordered to pay reparation of $11,000, the Whakatane Beacon reported.

Robinson faced five charges of driving dangerously causing death or injury, and a further charge of driving while suspended.

He was estimated to have been travelling at speeds of more than 200km/h when an aborted passing manoeuvre saw him drive his Holden V8 into the back of a Toyota flat deck ute on State Highway 34 near Kawerau on April 3.

The impact sent Robinson's car into the air, across the road into the path of another vehicle, then into a concrete power pole. It travelled another 32 metres before coming to rest on its roof, almost instantly bursting into flames.

His front seat passenger Fraser Nathan was trapped in the front seat and could not be saved from the burning vehicle.

Six-month-old Kalaisha Hale, who was in the other vehicle, which rolled, died the next day in Starship Hospital.

At the time Robinson was suspended from driving after losing his licence two weeks earlier for accumulating excess demerit points.

As he was wheeled from the court Robinson stopped to offer his condolences to the families of his victims saying: "I'd just like to say sorry", which unleashed an outpouring of tears and hugs between those affected by the crash.

- NZPA