Richard Eion Gent (35), who has worked on and off most his adult life as a truck driver, had spent the night at a Richmond motel, north of Oamaru, and was starting work for the day.
It was 3.45am on May 13.
He had been working for his then employer, driving his truck and trailer unit, for just three weeks.
On that morning, the vehicle was laden with coal to a weight of 45 tonnes.
It was a Freightliner, four-axle heavy motor vehicle, towing a four-axle trailer with an overall length exceeding 20m.
It was dark with a slight mist.
Gent was turning south out of York St on to State Highway 1, a manoeuvre that required crossing the northbound lane of the highway.
He stopped at the intersection to allow a southbound truck, followed by a car, to pass.
As he did so, he noticed a white light to the south.
He noticed that light dip for the approaching truck.
Gent began to pull across the highway.
He then realised the white light he had seen was an approaching motorcycle.
His truck and trailer blocked the highway as he crossed it.
He saw the motorcycle brake heavily and the rider fall from the machine.
He watched the motorcycle slide along the road, hitting the front wheel of his trailer before being run over by it.
The rider, too, slid along the road beneath the truck and trailer and, as Gent continued to drive, the motorcyclist was crushed to death.
Gent slowed his vehicle but then, overcome by panic, decided not to stop.
He continued driving south, making his deliveries.
He did not mention the crash to anyone.
In the Oamaru District Court yesterday, Gent admitted careless driving causing the death of Thomas Alec Fry.
He also admitted: attempting to obstruct the course of justice by lying about the cause of damage to his truck; lying about whether or not he drove through the intersection of York St and SH1 at Richmond, north of Oamaru; failing to stop and ascertain injury after a crash; and failing to report a crash.
The summary, which was not read to the court, provided the details of the incident.
Within minutes, Mr Fry's body, which was lying on the highway, was hit by a second vehicle.
That driver also failed to remain at the scene or report the crash.
The second crash was heard by people staying at the motel.
A police investigation began, initially focusing on locating and identifying the occupants of the second vehicle.
It was not immediately apparent a heavy motor vehicle had been involved in the crash.
Last Friday, the driver of the second vehicle, Cam Paul Kennedy (24), appeared in the Invercargill District Court and admitted one charge of wilfully attempting to obstruct the course of justice.
He was remanded on bail for sentencing on October 21.
He had he removed all identification from his Nissan Skyline car and set fire to it.
During the investigation, police spoke to all guests at the motel over the night before the crash.
Gent told investigators he had left the motel by a different street, thus seeking to distance his vehicle from the crash.
Over the following weeks, police inspected his truck on three separate occasions and spoke with him twice more.
On the fourth occasion, about six weeks after the crash, when police put to him evidence he had been involved in the crash, he admitted the facts as outlined.
In explanation, he said that when he watched the motorcycle crash, he was unaware of where the rider had gone.
He said he had initially intended to stop but had become overcome by panic.
As a result of the panic and once he realised what had happened, he had not told anyone and had "concocted a series of lies", as required, to answer questions put to him by investigators.
Gent, who is no longer employed and has not previously appeared before the court, stood quietly in the dock throughout.
He was convicted by Judge Paul Kellar and remanded on continued bail to appear for sentencing on September 1.
Reparation of $6800 is sought for the motorcycle, which was destroyed in the crash.
Representatives of the Fry family were in court yesterday.
Gent also had supporters in court.
