Drugged driver who killed two on SH29A jailed for three years and six months

Drug-impaired driver Nicole Marie Reynolds wil be sentenced in the District Court of Tauranga District today. Photo/File

Nicole Reynolds, the drugged driver who ran over and killed two Bay of Plenty people and left another man seriously injured, has been jailed.

Reynolds, 40, was sentenced in the District Court at Tauranga today, after she earlier pleaded guilty to two charges of drug-driving causing death and a further charge of drug-driving causing injury to Lance Carter.

Reynolds was sentenced to three years and six months in prison.

Judge Thomas Ingram also disqualified Reynolds from driving for a period of five years, which took affect from today.

She was also sentenced on a theft charge relating to her stealing two pill bottles from a former client's home - a charge Reynolds was found guilty of at a defended hearing.

The driving charges stemmed from a crash on State Highway 29A between Baypark and Maungatapu on July 29 last year which happened while Mr Carter and his best mate Kenny McCrae were changing a tyre on a SUV owned by Mr Carter's partner Leigh Rhodes.

Leigh Rhodes and Kenny McCrae were killed when a car being driven by Nicole Reynolds crashed into them as they attempted to change a car tyre on SH29a. Photo/File

Reynolds had taken methadone and also had two other Class B controlled drugs in her system before she ploughed into the trio - the drugs which were taken without a prescription belonged to her mother.

She had been seen weaving within her lane before she struck Ms Rhodes, who was waving a white spare wheel cover in the air to alert approaching motorists to the hazard

Reynolds' vehicle then smashed into Mr Carter and his friend.

Mr McCrae died instantly and Ms Rhodes died in Tauranga Hospital later that day.

Mr Carter was hospitalised with extensive leg injuries and nearly died on the operating table. He is learning to walk again.