Megan Finlayson aged 27 years from Hutt Valley was killed in a hit and run outside the Pomare train station in Hutt Valley. Photo / Supplied
Megan Finlayson aged 27 years from Hutt Valley was killed in a hit and run outside the Pomare train station in Hutt Valley. Photo / Supplied
Megan Finlayson had her whole life ahead of her when she stepped out on to the road on the cool morning of August 1.
But it took only moments for her bright future to be ripped away by the actions of a “dangerous” man driving about 100km/h on the wrong side of the road.
In court today, loved ones of the 27-year-old Lower Hutt woman poured out their grief that they would not see Finlayson get married and have children, share special moments in her family’s lives, be a bridesmaid for her friends or godmother to their kids.
All of it was taken away in “an act of pure evil”.
Chad Reuben Arene Clark appears by AVL in the Wellington District Court. Photo / Melissa Nightingale
Finlayson was on her way to the Pomare train station in Lower Hutt that morning as part of her daily work commute.
Chad Reuben Arene Clark had been wildly overtaking cars as he approached the spot where Finlayson was crossing the road. He was driving up to 45km/h higher than the speed limit as he tore up the wrong side of the road, the summary of facts said.
Even as he careened directly towards her at an estimated speed of 96-102km/h, Clark made no effort to swerve or brake. He hit Finlayson and sent her into the air and on to parked cars. She landed about 15m away from where he hit her.
Meanwhile, Clark fled the scene without stopping, continuing to drive dangerously, eventually stopping to take off his licence plates. He was later found by police halfway up the country, in Hunterville.
The thought of how Finlayson died has haunted her friends and family, many of whom spoke in the Wellington District Court today of being unable to banish the image from their minds.
“I could not stop picturing my sister catapulting into the air after being hit by Clark’s car, slamming into parked vehicles, before hitting the ground, dead,” said her sister as she read out her victim impact statement.
Megan Finlayson was killed in a hit and run outside the Pomare train station in Hutt Valley. Photo / Supplied
“It was distressing to think that Megan meant nothing to Clark as he left her to die on the side of the road.”
She said she now avoided crossing roads, and when she had to she got sweaty palms and had to sprint across.
She said Finlayson was her best friend, and now she struggled to take photos of her sons because she knew she would never share them with her sister.
Finlayson’s parents also read out victim impact statements, saying they were devastated at the loss of their “treasured” daughter, who had left a hole in their close-knit family.
Chad Reuben Arene Clark, 35, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing death.
“Megan’s death by Chad Clark’s dangerous driving is society’s loss,” said her father, who said Finlayson was “modest, smiling, loving and intelligent”.
He said he thought of her “horrific” death every night and on bad days.
“This nightmare will be with me for the rest of my life.
“I will not see Megan blossom into the wonderful woman she would have been.”
Clark earlier pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing death, and failing to stop to ascertain injury. Police had earlier warned Clark was “dangerous and should not be approached”.
He appeared by audio-visual link in court this afternoon for sentencing. The courtroom’s public gallery was packed with Clark’s supporters and Finlayson’s loved ones.
Defence lawyer Zachary Meehan said Clark did not ask for the family’s forgiveness because he knew nothing he could do would ever repair the damage he caused.
“This offending has weighed on him significantly,” he said.
Judge Ian Mill spoke of the hit and run, as well as Clark’s offending during the Parliament occupation in 2022. This included aggravated assaults on police and attempts to sustain the fires that had been lit on the grounds.
Judge Mill said the driving offending was not a momentary lapse of judgement, but a sustained period of dangerous driving which would almost inevitably end in tragedy.
The judge noted Clark had shown promise in his youth, achieving success in rugby league and completing the Coast to Coast race at just 13 years old.
But Clark became involved with gangs, dropped out of school early, and became entangled in the justice system for multiple criminal offences.
Judge Mill allowed discounts to the overall sentence for Clark’s guilty pleas, his remorse, and the adverse experiences in his life which contributed to his choice to become a criminal.
He sentenced him to five years and three months in prison. The sentence covers the hit and run, his rioting and actions at Parliament, and possession of weapons, ammunition, and drugs.
Clark is also disqualified from driving for four years, starting from May 2025.
Melissa Nightingale is a Wellington-based reporter who covers crime, justice and news in the capital. She joined the Herald in 2016 and has worked as a journalist for 10 years.
