Her 66-year-old father Fu-Hwa Ju, who had suggested the holiday to try to help Chu recover from her partner's death, died in the collision with a 4WD vehicle near Templeton.
Chu's mother, Mei-Yu Chu Yeh, received multiple rib injuries, pneumothorax, liver laceration and a fractured scapula. Chu's two children, her cousin and her child were uninjured.
In court yesterday, Chu's lawyer Josh Lucas said the accident had been a momentary lapse of attention and a mistake that could have been made by any nationality, including New Zealanders.
Judge Tony Couch remanded Chu on bail until Friday.
It comes after a horror period on the roads involving foreign drivers, including eight deaths in as many days last month.
In response, New Zealanders have been taking the law into their owns hands and dispensing vigilante justice.
Police are aware of five occasions where concerned motorists have taken keys off rental car drivers.
In the latest incident, a Dunedin man snatched the car keys from a tourist who had stopped to take photos on Otago Peninsula, causing eight vehicles to back up.
But legal experts, police, the Ministry of Transport, the Rental Vehicle Association and Prime Minister John Key have warned against the practice.
Dr Chris Gallavin, dean of law at Canterbury University, described taking keys off drivers as "highly risky behaviour".
"You're exposing yourself to trespass actions in civil law, allegations of theft and the prospect of things escalating to the level of being assaulted, or assaulting somebody."
Police advise motorists to phone 111 or *555 or film bad driving.
Mr Key said Kiwi drivers were just as bad as tourist drivers, if not worse. The public should never take the law into their own hands, he said.
Meanwhile, a 36-year-old Chinese tourist was issued infringement notices yesterday after he was caught driving on the wrong side of the road in Queenstown with an unrestrained 5-year-old child in the back. The man's rental vehicle agreement was cancelled.
Key snatching
January 18, 2015:
Queenstown man takes rental car keys from Australian driver on the Lindis Pass after being angered by his driving.
February 23, 2015: Haast woman takes keys off Chinese family at Franz Josef Glacier after driving on wrong side of road.
February 27, 2015: Tourist driver punched in the head and has his e- keys snapped after "minor traffic incident" in Greymouth.
February 28, 2015: Diesel mechanic Robert Penman takes keys off foreign driver in Dunedin.
March 1, 2015: Christchurch driver films tourist crossing centre line in Lindis Pass and snatches his keys at Omarama.
