'I wasn't driving,' says death crash accused

A woman accused of killing her partner in a car crash has claimed he was at the wheel, a court was told.

Ondrea Rangipurei Reweti, 32, who is in a wheelchair as a result of the crash, has denied causing the death of her partner Anton Bellas and seriously injuring Waiwhakaata McLaughlan by driving a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol.

The Reporoa woman has also pleaded not guilty to alternative charges of carelessly driving a motor vehicle by speeding.

She told police she was not driving, saying the driver was Mr Bellas, Rotorua District Court heard.

Reweti, Mr Bellas, her niece Ms McLaughlan and a 15-year-old nephew Isaiah McLaughlan were returning to Reporoa at about 10pm from nearby hotpools on May 11, 2003, Crown prosecutor Jonothan Briscoe told the court.

"It's very easy to put the blame on Mr Bellas as he is no longer here...There is no physical way Mr Bellas could have been the driver," Mr Briscoe said.

Reweti was driving with Mr Bellas sitting in the front passenger seat and the McLaughlans in the back seat.

Nobody, except the 15-year-old, was wearing a seatbelt. As Reweti approached a moderate right-hand bend she veered to the left side of the road on to loose metal causing her to lose control, Mr Briscoe said.

The vehicle slid across the road, along the grass verge for 29m before hitting two trees, flying into the air and landing on its roof.

Mr Bellas was pinned under the left-hand side of the car with his legs caught inside. A motorist stopped to help and found Rewiti trapped in the driver's seat.

He freed Reweti's legs which were tangled in the pedals but she was not able to get out of the car because she could not feel her legs.

Mr Bellas died at the scene, Ms McLaughlan suffered a broken neck and Isaiah had minor injuries.

Reweti is likely to be in a wheelchair for the rest of her life.

The trial is expected to finish tomorrow.

- DAILY POST (ROTORUA)