Motorcyclist had twice legal drink-driving limit - coroner

File photo / NZH

A Gisborne man had more than twice the legal blood alcohol limit in his system when his motorcycle hit a neighbour who was walking home, killing both of them.

A resident heard the sound of a Harley Davidson roaring along Lavenham Road in suburban Patutahi only moments before it collided with a pedestrian on November 14, Gisborne Coroner's Court was told.

Eugene Wayne Tatana, 41, and Bernadette Taupua Florenzia Rawiri, 49, died when the 2006, 1450cc Harvey Davidson Mr Tatana was riding collided with Ms Rawiri, who was walking home in dark clothing.

Mr Tatana died from head injuries, while Ms Rawiri died of multiple blunt force injuries, Coroner Christopher Devonport said.

The accident happened as Mr Tatana was travelling north. He collided with Ms Rawiri only metres from her home, as she returned from a relative's home.

Mr Tatana was found dead on the road and Ms Rawiri's body was found among vegetation on the side of the road. The Harley Davidson was found about 100 metres further north.

There was insufficient evidence to know where Mr Tatana and his motorbike collided with Ms Rawiri or to say what, if any, action was taken by either of them to prevent the crash, Mr Devonport said in his report.

"Both Mr Tatana and Ms Rawiri were likely to have been affected by alcohol. It was dark at the time of the crash, and Ms Rawiri was wearing dark clothing," he said.

A post-mortem revealed Mr Tatana's blood-alcohol level was 162 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood. The legal limit for driving is 80mg.

Ms Rawiri had also been drinking.

A crash investigator was unable to determine the speed of the motorcycle or whether the brakes had been applied, but a neighbour reported hearing it coming down the road.

"It was really loud. It sounded like it was going really fast as it came past my house, like vroom. It went past and then it went all quiet," the neighbour said.

The police serious crash unit report said the road was a two-way, two-lane road that was in good condition on the night of the crash. Opposing traffic was separated by a painted, white centre line with reflective markers. It was a 100km/h area.

- NZPA