Bus driver sentenced over crash

Raymond Hina. Photo / Stuart Munro

The man who crashed a bus full of college students, teachers and parents into a bank near Taumarunui has been sentenced to community work and a six-month driving ban.

Raymond Hina, 57, was sentenced for careless driving causing injury in Whanganui District Court yesterday.

The Wanganui man pleaded guilty earlier at the first opportunity to seven counts of the charge, said defence lawyer Roger Crowley.

The Tranzit bus was taking competitors from Wanganui City College, Wanganui Collegiate and Wanganui High School to the national Nga Manu Korero speech competitions in Hamilton on September 23 last year. There were 39 passengers on the bus. The charges relate to the number of people injured.

Judge David Cameron said a witness to Hina's driving that day, a retired policeman, had been driving behind the bus near Wanganui and it accelerated away from him while he [the witness] was going 100km/h. "It had been drizzling with rain and the road was wet," Judge Cameron said. He said another witness to the defendant's driving, a truck driver, "had been following and he observed the bus braking heavily on slight bends and down hills, causing him concern - such that he pulled back and increased his following distance." On a moderate left-hand bend on State Highway 4 near Piriaka, Hina lost control of the bus, sending it into a slide. The bus slid about 15m along a bank, with the rear end lifting up and coming back down again.

Judge Cameron said seven victims were taken to Taumarunui Hospital with injuries, including a broken collarbone, lacerations and cuts requiring stitches, back pain, a sore shoulder, and a concussion. They were all released that day.

Hina had convictions from 1975, but none were relevant to the current charges. Judge Cameron said he would put them aside and treat Hina as a first offender.

Tranzit national training manager Graeme Foote was in court supporting Hina, and Mr Crowley said Hina has continued to drive for Tranzit since the accident.

Mr Crowley said his client was well-liked, took great pride in his work, and did regular driving training courses.

"He will lose his job until he gets his licence back."

He said Hina was a "highly valued and trusted employee" and his job would be waiting for him on return of his licence.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Rachel Willemsen said the victim impact statements spoke mainly of emotional harm. Judge Cameron was "puzzled" over Hina's denial that he was speeding, however, saying it was "a little lacking in candour".

"Why he chose to deny his speeding is puzzling and a little bit disappointing," he said.

He accepted that the impact of what Hina had done had a "considerable negative effect on him".

Hina had a good history with Tranzit and there was no similar incident of note, he said. Judge Cameron said he needed to deter others from carelessness, "particularly when in charge of a bus full of people".

"His actions fall below the standard of the ordinary prudent driver."

He sentenced Hina to 80 hours community work and disqualified him from driving for six months.