Elderly Mercedes crash driver disqualified

The scene of the car accident involving 3 people at Auckland Airport. Photo / supplied

An elderly Mercedes Benz driver who drove into three men at Auckland International Airport has failed in her bid to keep her driving record clean.

Bette McIlroy had applied for a discharge without conviction at Manukau District Court today.

The 81-year-old real estate agent faced three charges of careless driving causing injury.

The court was told how McIlroy arrived at the airport to pick up her daughter and was waiting at the pick-up area when she dropped her cellphone into the passenger footwell of her car.

Community Magistrate Philip Greenbank said that as McIlroy leaned over to pick it up she bumped the gearstick of her automatic Mercedes from neutral into gear.

Three men unloading their luggage from a cab in front of McIlroy's car were crushed between her car and the back of the taxi.

One of the men suffered a fractured leg and had to wear a "moonboot'' for six weeks.

Another was hospitalised for a week and had to go through 10 weeks of physiotherapy.

Mr Greenbank said the consequences of a conviction did not outweigh the offending and declined McIlroy's application for a discharge without conviction.

He also disqualified her from driving for the next six months.

McIlroy's lawyer Graeme Halse indicated he would be appealing the decision.