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Home / Rotorua Daily Post

Tanker driver pleads not guilty to manslaughter following fatal crash that killed motorcyclist

Kelly Makiha
By Kelly Makiha
Multimedia Journalist·Rotorua Daily Post·
22 Nov, 2017 12:56 AMQuick Read

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Auckland tanker driver Daniel William Raukawa Tauvaka, 41, appeared in the High Court at Rotorua today facing five charges. Photo/File

Auckland tanker driver Daniel William Raukawa Tauvaka, 41, appeared in the High Court at Rotorua today facing five charges. Photo/File

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.

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Justice Sarah Katz remanded Tauvaka on bail to reappear for a callover on March 7. A two-week trial is set down for November 19 next year.

The crash happened about 7pm on January 25 on State Highway 1 at Atiamuri between Tahu and Kemp Rds, north-east of Taupo.

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