Community service for New Zealand driver who killed three cyclists

8 comments
By BikeRadar UK | Tuesday, Feb 15, 2011 10.45am

A driver who ploughed into a group of cyclists in New Zealand last year, killing three of them, has avoided jail. Kristy King, 24, was yesterday given 300 hours' community work, ordered to pay NZ$30,000 (£14,163/ US$22,689) compensation and banned from driving for a year.

Morrinsville District Court heard King accepted full responsibility for the crash and had written to the victims' families after the accident to apologise. She hadn't drunk alcohol or taken drugs at the time, and neither was she driving excessively fast.

None of the relatives called for a prison sentence to be imposed, and some hugged King after she was sentenced. Outside court, Roger Wolfe told TVNZ that his wife Kay, who was fatally injured in the crash, "wouldn't have hated her for what she did".

The court heard King was driving around a bend south of Morrinsville, in the Waikato region of New Zealand's North Island, on November 14 when she spotted the group of 10 cyclists riding in single file. She braked but lost control and her Mazda Familia skidded into them.

Kay Wolfe's son, Gavin, narrowly avoided being hit. "As soon as I saw the car coming around the corner I knew it was going to take them out," his witness statement said. "I saw glass, people and small pieces of people flying all around me."

Mark Ferguson, 46, and Wilhelm Muller, 71, died at the scene. Mrs Wolfe, 45, died in Waikato Hospital several days later. King admitted three charges of dangerous driving causing death. She wrote a letter to their families which said: "I have still not come to terms with what happened on that day, and am very sorry for all the pain and suffering I have caused."

While many of the relatives refused to bear a grudge, Mr Muller's widow, Nola, 71, said King's stupidity had killed her husband. Roger Wolfe called for a change in the law so cyclists can't be overtaken unless there's 1.5m of space. He also called for better training for young drivers, saying King was a "victim too".

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User Comments

There are 8 comments on this post

Showing 1 - 8 of 8 comments

  • Wow, that's amazing, this girl must have Lance's lawyers and PR agents working for her to get off.

    I'm sorry but there must be more to the story: was there a car in the on-coming lane that stopped her from moving over?

    Was the road too narrow to allow for all vehicles present plus a margin of safety room between them?

    $30k & 300 hours isn't nothing but what an idiot. Are they going after Mazda for making crap cars that can't brake? There must be more to it than that.

    One thing - this woman is NOT a victim, sorry.

  • Perhaps FransJacques should contact the victims families quoted above and the court and explain why they're wrong. After all, it's not like additional evidence will have been presented in court, clearly victims relatives are usually biased against the accused receiving harsh punishments, and brakes that lock up are "crap"*.

    *Especially considering how many bikes have antilock braking systems at the moment.

  • Before anyone gets up in arms about the sentence, note that the families of the victims didn't want her sent to jail.

  • I will banner for life for driving and make her mandatory move around all her life only on bike.

  • I know that stretch of road as i used to cycle it when i lived there - its a fine open wide road, she was NOT paying any attention. it would have been a different matter to New Zealand if it was 3 prams she had taken out....

    there is no justification for her sentence here, its terrible and she should be totally banned for life this would wake New Zealand up to the many many cycle accidents and indeed deaths of recent years as more of the population take up cycling in what can only be described as one of the worst countries to cycle in. (even taking into account Italy, spain and the USA!)

    The attitude to cyclists and their driving ability is terrible. I actually gave up cycling on the road for the last 3 months of living in Auckland because on every ride i would have 2 or 3 near misses. It seems its still a game to NZ drivers to poke fun at cyclists, move over on them , turn on them and generally treat them like rubbish , not realising (i think) that it endangers our lives constantly.

  • Some back reading on the case would be advised - as I understand it, the driver was travelling in the other directions, within or on the speed limit, and lost control on a corner, resulting in them skidding across the road into the cyclists. Yes, bad driving, but not reckless - what use would sending the girl to prison have served?

  • A_to_the_i sounds much like the treatment I used to get in Australia where the car is a symbol of your manhood and there are a lot of useless cnuts so bored they'll pick on riders. I actually get treated 10x better riding in the UK.

  • Can I start by saying that you are all extremely shallow minded and extremely bias.

    NO ONE can sit there and say that they 'know the strech of road' nor 'she wasn't paying attention' .. You were not there, aware of the conditions nor privy to details that are not reported in the media.

    If you read other articles on the accident, (and that is exactly what it was, an accident) you will find that the driver of the car has been campaigning for better training of younger drivers as well as campaigning for awareness of riders on the road.

    The families of the victims expressed they did not wish to see Ms King sentenced to prison for a freak accident. They, if anyone, should be the most opinionated regarding the matter and not open for discussion on a bike riders website. What would sentencing a young lady to years inprison acheive? The accident was extremely publicised and has brought awareness to bike riders on the road. it is extemely unfortunate that people have lost their lives and I feel for the families involved. Believe me, living with such a memory will be torchure enough for this young lady.

    Again, if you read other articles on the accident, you will find that Ms King has vowed that she will never drive again and I agree with claims that she is also a victim. She has had to face the victims family and has had meeting with the families, not to mention live with the thought of what she is, ultimately, responsible for.

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