A truck driver charged with causing the death of a motorcyclist as well as several charges relating to breaching driving conditions has pleaded not guilty.
Daniel William Raukawa Tauvaka, 41, a heavy truck/tanker driver from Auckland, appeared in the High Court at Rotorua today facing five charges.
The charges relate to a crash in January where motorcyclist Te Wanehi Wakefield, 56, from Taradale, was killed when his bike collided with Tauvaka's truck on State Highway 1 at Atiamuri.
Tauvaka is charged with manslaughter and an alternative charge of dangerous driving causing death. He also faces four Land Transport Act charges including making a false statement in a logbook, failing to have 10 hours rest, failing to deliver his logbook to his employer and making a false statement in a logbook.
Tauvaka was represented by Louis Te Kani.