Tourist who hit car pays $12,000 to crash victims

A German tourist who killed a mother and injured two other people in a crash near Thames has been ordered to pay $12,000 to the victims' families.

Torsten Schwarz, a 27-year-old engineer, had been in New Zealand for only three days when the rental car he was driving crossed a centre line into the path of an oncoming car on December 29 last year.

Pamela Hutson, 68, died at the scene and her 70-year-old husband, Anthony, was seriously injured. A third victim who crashed into the Hutsons' car suffered a neck injury.

In Hamilton District Court on Monday, Judge Robert Spear sentenced Schwarz on one charge of careless driving causing death and two charges of careless driving causing injury.

The maximum penalty is a $4500 fine on each charge or three months' imprisonment.

Judge Spear ordered him to pay $11,250 to the Hutson family and $750 to the other victim.

He also disqualified him from driving for two years.

Defence lawyer Matthew Bates said Schwarz had opted to pay a fine and had cobbled the necessary finances together from his savings, credit cards and from his parents, who had wired him money from Germany.

Mr Bates said that what was supposed to be a 10-day New Zealand holiday had turned into a two-month ordeal for Schwarz, who was now planning to return to Germany as soon as possible.

- NZPA