Driver charged over shearing van fatal crash

Police have laid five charges against the driver of a shearing van that crashed east of Dannevirke on April 8, killing two people.

The man, a 54-year-old shearing contractor, is facing two counts of careless driving causing death, and three counts of careless driving causing injury.

He will appear in Dannevirke District Court on July 1.

Killed in the accident were shearer Jordon Hiroki, 18, and shed hand Elaine Robin, 44.

There were 12 people in the van when it left the road on a sweeping right-hand bend about 26km southeast of Dannevirke and hit a stand of pine trees.

The van belonged to Dannevirke-based Paewai Mullins Shearing.

Nine people were taken to hospital following the crash. One was flown by helicopter in a serious condition, and the rest had minor to moderate injuries.

The driver of the van was not found until three hours after the accident.

Paewai Mullins Shearing was dealt a second blow two weeks after the accident, when another of its employees, 40-year-old Althea Rangiawha, was killed when her van left State Highway 2 and crashed on April 20.

- HAWKE'S BAY TODAY