KEY POINTS:
A 68-year-old woman has admitted causing the death of her 15-year-old grandson when she crashed her car into a drainage ditch along the Desert Road, 17km north of Waiouru.
Another grandson received a broken arm when the car drifted into shingle along a straight stretch of road and the woman lost control of it.
Kaa Mateohorere Hokianga, retired of Papanui, today pleaded guilty in Christchurch District Court to charges of careless driving causing death and injury.
The accident happened at 1pm on April 15 when she was driving the hatchback car with her grandson Tuuta Toka, 15, in the front seat, and Te Arai Toka, 14, in the back.
Tuuta received a message on his cellphone and said he wanted her to have a look at it. She refused but said she would stop further up the road.
She turned the wheel to correct the vehicle when it hit the shingle, but turned the wheel the other way as it went out of control. It skidded off the left side of the road into a 1m deep ditch, and landed on its roof.
Tuuta received head, arm, and leg injuries and died at the scene. He had been wearing his seatbelt at the time of the crash.
Te Ara was taken to Wanganui Hospital with a broken arm . It was not known if he was wearing a seatbelt.
Hokianga was wearing a seatbelt and received no obvious injuries. She was admitted to hospital when she complained of chest pain.
When police questioned her, she said she had slept well the night before the crash.
Judge John Cadenhead remanded her on bail to November 12 for a pre-sentence report and sentence. He also ordered an emotional harm reparation report be prepared.
- NZPA
