The accident scene at the Maioro St interchange. Photo / Supplied
With a 73-year-old grandmother critically injured and growing frustration over what they believed was police inaction, a traumatised Auckland family turned to a controversial Facebook page – setting off a viral hunt for a “drunk driver” police now say never existed.
On the evening of January 5, a post titled “SEARCHING FOR THE DRUNK DRIVER THAT CAUSED THIS MESS” appeared on the Checkpoint Watch Auckland Facebook page. It outlined what it said was the ordeal of a Kiwi-Filipino family in the days before Christmas, after a serious crash left five relatives injured and their grandmother in intensive care.
When contacted by the Herald, the Filipino driver said the crash was shocking.
“I felt like I died for like three seconds and then I woke up and was like, ‘Oh, shoot, we crashed and someone hit us’.”
The post included photos of the 73-year-old woman in ICU, the crash scene, and a picture of a man standing next to a damaged SUV holding an object. It claimed he was the offending driver and that he had been drinking alcohol at the scene. It is unclear to the Herald whether the man identified in the image was driving the other vehicle involved in the crash.
More than 2000 people reacted to the post and more than 400 commented, ranging from outrage and support for the family, to criticism of the irony of a plea for justice on a site devoted to alerting drivers to police breath-testing checkpoints.
Some commenters claiming to be witnesses offered conflicting versions of what happened. One claimed the SUV driver caused the crash and another said the SUV was struck by another vehicle.
What the post, which was uploaded on behalf of the family, unquestionably captured was trauma. Five members of the same family, driving to the airport to drop the grandparents off for a Christmas trip to the Philippines, were involved in a collision and their lives changed in a moment.
The message on Facebook was a well-intentioned plea for justice accusing the pictured individual of being under the influence and causing mayhem.
But the driver wasn’t drunk. Police told the Herald the alleged offender registered a blood alcohol reading of zero.
Police also issued a warning.
“Police remind the public that making accusations and sharing misinformation online is unhelpful and can be risky. This type of activity can compromise investigations and be harmful to individuals.”
On December 19, just before 5am, the older woman was sitting in the rear left seat of the family Mazda on the way to the airport, with her son-in-law in the driver’s seat.
In the front passenger seat was her son, and beside her in the back were her 9-year-old grandson and 72-year-old husband.
They were on an early morning airport drop-off for a Christmas trip to the Philippines.
The family told the Herald they were waiting at the lights at the Maioro St interchange, preparing to turn right to head south on to the Southwestern Motorway.
They claim that as the lights turned green, the driver made the turn and the vehicle was allegedly struck on the left passenger side, sending the red Mazda MPV spinning.
Immediately the driver, who was initially stunned, checked his son in the back of the car and saw his mother-in-law bleeding from her head and arm.
“I made sure she’s alive. I checked her pulse.”
Although she was alive, the elderly woman had suffered a broken neck, pelvis and ribs, a head injury and a tear to her aorta, he said.
“Everything happened all at once, and then there’s ambulance, there’s police, there’s a fire truck.”
He checked on the rest of his family. All were battered and bruised and would need examining at hospital. He was worried about his son, who had witnessed his grandmother being seriously injured.
Being dazed and overwhelmed, the aftermath was confusing.
The driver doesn’t remember taking photos of the crash scene or the man later accused online of being responsible.
It was only while scrolling through his phone later that he realised he had the image.
And to him, it looked like the man was holding a beer.
Life for the family is now a bedside vigil, willing their elderly family member to heal, and she is now out of ICU.
They face a disruptive and unwanted routine – driving to the hospital, parking, waiting.
It is emotionally and financially stressful.
“It’s like, you know, petrol, parking, food, petrol, parking, food.
“That adds up on a day-to-day expense.”
Apart from worrying about their kin, they have the hassle of seeking compensation for their third-party insured car.
Flights to the Philippines were cancelled and other family members expecting to holiday in Australia have abandoned their plans.
Police had contacted the family, usually asking about the victims’ injuries, but the driver said the communication had been frustrating because there had been no updates on whether anyone had been arrested over the crash.
And with no offender in custody, the family wished to remain anonymous, fearing retribution.
Late on Tuesday evening, after the Facebook post went live and hundreds of comments, shares and reactions were made, a police officer contacted the family via text with an update.
“We have identified the offending driver involved in this case and is [sic] currently going through the process of summoning him to court and hold him accountable for his action. Again, I am deeply sorry that this has happened to your family.”
The Mazda driver, speaking on behalf of the family, said they felt desperate. He is still waking in the night, having flashbacks and replaying the crash over and over.
Ultimately, they just want an answer and for the other driver to be held to account.
Checkpoint Watch Auckland is a Facebook page dedicated to alerting followers where police stage checkpoints, including those for testing drivers for intoxication, allowing them to avoid being processed.
The page’s creator, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, said the family got in touch asking for help in finding the man in the photo.
They believed they were asked because posts on the Facebook page could go viral.
The family had said, “My mum’s fighting for her life”, and it started from there.
“Before they asked me to share it, I asked them to confirm with the cops first because I don’t want to get in the way of any kind of investigation and they said, ‘Yeah, that they said it was okay to publish’, so I published it.”
A line in the Facebook post reads: “Victims’ family have got permission from the 105 line to share this on social media. So, that’s what we’re doing.”
The Herald asked police if they had sanctioned the family posting on social media but they were unable to confirm.
Numerous comments highlighted the irony of posting a search for an alleged drunk driver on a Facebook page that could be seen to help intoxicated motorists avoid police detection.
“I get where they’re coming from, but they also need to get where I’m coming from. I’ve never touched alcohol in my life,” the creator said.
“I don’t post these checkpoints to encourage people to drunk-drive ... What people do with the information we publish is up to them ... but I bet you, 99% of drunk drivers, they’re not coming on our page checking, ‘Oh, I’m gonna drive drunk, let’s just check the checkpoint page first’.”
The Herald contacted police for comment on the Facebook post, the accusation of poor communication and the ongoing investigation.
Police confirmed a driver had been identified and a warrant would likely be sought. The charge would be careless driving causing injury.
They confirmed alcohol was not a factor in the crash but said they were waiting on further tests to assess whether other intoxicating substances may have been involved.
They also issued a warning saying posting misinformation to social media was risky and asked anyone with information that may assist an investigation to report directly to police.
The family told the Herald they were still feeling desperate despite the updates from police and the news alcohol was not a factor in the crash that changed their lives.
The son-in-law said their cherished mother and grandmother was still with them but only just. In the days immediately after the crash, surgeons told them she had a 10% chance of surviving, he said.
“She is a fighter.”
They continue to feel the trauma of the accident, he said.
Mike Scott is an award-winning visual journalist with more than two decades’ experience telling stories across multiple media platforms.
Sign up to The Daily H, a free newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.