A former Connectabus driver was yesterday found guilty of dangerous driving in connection with a 2013 Arthurs Point crash that injured nine passengers.
Peter Anthony McEntyre (65), formerly of Kingston but now living on the Coromandel Peninsula, denied nine charges of dangerous driving causing injury.
After two days of a judge-alone trial before Judge Tony Couch in the Queenstown District Court, McEntyre was yesterday convicted and sentenced to pay a total of $10,800 in reparation for emotional harm to the injured passengers, and disqualified from driving for 15 months.
He was driving a Connectabus from Queenstown to Arrowtown with 30 passengers on October 26, 2013, when it skidded off Gorge Rd at the approach to Edith Cavell Bridge.
Only a tree prevented the bus from plunging into a swollen Shotover River.
The trial concluded a day earlier than expected, after a defence expert witness conceded he had made an error in his calculation of the estimated speed of the bus before the crash.
In his decision, Judge Couch said he had therefore relied on the evidence of serious crash unit investigator Senior Constable Alastair Crosland, of Alexandra, who had calculated the speed of the bus at the beginning of the downhill approach to the bridge to be at least 72kmh.
The evidence of Connectabus owner and managing director Ewen McCammon and Snr Const Crosland indicated the bus's brakes were in ''good'' working order before the crash, and ''acceptable'' working order afterwards.
''The defendant's argument that the brakes simply failed on the day was simply incredible, and I don't accept it.''
Judge Couch also accepted evidence from prosecution witnesses that there was no visible diesel or oil contamination on the road that might have caused the bus to lose traction as it braked.
''The only explanation is that the defendant drove the bus at too great a speed in the circumstances. But for the location of the tree, this could have resulted in the serious injury or death of many people.''
Earlier, McEntyre denied driving too quickly, claiming the bus had faulty brakes and the road was slippery as a result of heavy rain and oil on the road.
He estimated the bus had been travelling at 40kmh-45kmh at the beginning of the downhill approach to the bridge, but when he applied the brake, both front wheels locked up.
He disputed Snr Const Crosland's conclusion that the bus had been travelling at 72kmh.
''He can do as much theory as he likes, but I was there and I know what happened when I put the brakes on.''
