A truck driver who ran a red light in Christchurch and killed two people and injured three more was threatened in court as he pleaded guilty today.
Emotions ran high at Christchurch District Court this afternoon when Casey James Winter, 22, admitted charges of careless driving causing the death of Fulumoa Daly, 35, and his 12-year-old nephew Ezekiel Tanielu-Loua on April 5 this year.
"You're dead," Winter was told by one man leaving court today.
Winter, of Christchurch, was driving east on Yaldhurst Rd just after midnight in a yellow Isuzu truck.
He went through a red light at the Russley Rd intersection and smashed into a red Holden Commodore being driven by Daly.
Daly and Tanielu-Loua sustained fatal injuries in the impact.
Front-seat passenger Sefulu Annie Teevale-Daly, 36, suffered skull bruising and a lumbar spine fracture.
Two 3-year-olds in the back seat, Zion-Benet Taliauli-Daly and Zachariah Tanielu-Fuatai were critically injured and flown to Starship Hospital with skull fractures and traumatic brain injuries.
When Winter was spoken to by police officers, he said he thought the light was green.
Today at Christchurch District Court, Winter appeared on careless driving causing death and causing injury charges.
He immediately pleaded guilty through defence counsel Elizabeth Bulger.
Judge Tony Couch remanded Winter on bail to be sentenced on November 27. He called for a pre-sentence report and a referral to restorative justice.
"These are tragic and difficult matters to deal with," Judge Couch said.
Winter was verbally threatened as upset family members of the victims left court.
Tanielu-Loua had just moved from Christchurch to live permanently in Auckland two months earlier and was "really fitting in well" as a new Year 8 student at Otahuhu Intermediate.
After moving to Auckland as a family, the Tanielu-Louas were back in their hometown of Christchurch at the time for his mother Aisi Tanielu-Loua's father's 70th birthday.
The extended family were returning home from a late night family gathering in different cars when the accident happened early Friday morning.
Spared from the crash were Ezekiel's two younger sisters and brother, who were in another car.
"He was the oldest and would help with the little ones," his mum Aisi said at the time.
Ezekiel shared a passion for the Crusaders Super Rugby team, who he would go to support with his uncle Fulumoa - who was behind the wheel in the crash that claimed their lives.
The week of the crash claimed a total of 27 lives on New Zealand roads - making it the worst week-long road toll in 16 years.
