Guilty plea after fatal crash

Senior constable Andy Clinton, pictured with a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IV involved in a fatal crash last year.

A man charged with drink-driving causing the death of a friend in a crash near Hastings last year has today pleaded guilty to all four charges brought against him.

Tyler James Walker, 21, of Hastings appeared before Judge Bridget Mackintosh at Hasting District Court.

Walker faces one charge of drink-driving causing death and two of drink-driving causing injury to two other passengers, as well as a charge of dangerous driving relating to events in Pakowhai Rd, Hastings, a short time before the crash.

According to a charge Walker had a blood-alcohol level of 218mg per 100ml when a blood sample was taken soon after the crash which killed Jesse Lee Uncles on Farndon Rd, a short distance from the Chesterhope Bridge, shortly before midnight on August 8 last year.

While the legal limit for his age is now 50mg, it was 80mg at the time of the crash, which means he had almost three times the legal limit of alcohol, and four times according to the new law.

Police say Mr Uncles was a backseat passenger in the car.

One of the injured, Kayden Basil French, was sitting in the passenger seat of the silver 1997 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 4.

He suffered "extremely serious injuries" which he was still recovering from and would be for some time yet, police said.

Walker suffered a knock to the head and the other injured passenger, Stephen Edwin Palmer, who suffered spinal injuries was sitting on the right-hand side of the car.

The Serious Crash Unit gathered evidence from the scene and conducted an investigation into the crash.

Farndon Rd has ditches, a number of trees and narrow shoulders.

Walker was remanded on bail for sentencing at a later date.