Chia-Fang Chu. Photo / Kurt Bayer
A Taiwanese tourist driver and widow who killed her own father after running a stop sign has today been shown mercy by a judge.
"I can never forgive myself for the damage I have done," said mother-of-two Chia-Fang Chu, 39, after going through a stop sign controlled intersection of Jones Rd and Dawsons Rd in Templeton, south of Christchurch, on February 18.
Her father, Fu-Hwa Ju - who had suggested the New Zealand holiday to try and relieve his daughter's depression brought on by the death of her husband in a motorcycle crash - died in the smash.
Chu was driving with six family members in a rented people-mover when she crashed into a 4WD, seriously injuring her mother, Mei-Yu Chu Yeh.
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At Christchurch District Court today, Judge Tony Couch ordered Chu to pay $2000 emotional harm reparation to the driver of the 4WD, who suffered bruising in the crash, but is feeling ongoing emotional and psychological effects.
The victim turned down an offer of a restorative justice meeting, but told Chu that she empathised deeply with her and, if she ever returned to New Zealand, they should share a cup of tea and "maybe a hug".
Chu, a teacher, earlier admitted charges of careless driving causing death and careless driving causing injury. A second careless driving causing injury charge was laid and admitted today.
Defence counsel Josh Lucas said it had been a "momentary lapse of attention" and a mistake that could have been made by any nationality, including by New Zealanders.
Police said that Chu, her mother, father, her two children, her cousin and her child were travelling New Zealand as tourists since February 2.
On February 18, she had driven from Lake Tekapo, stopping briefly at Rakaia for a rest.
They were heading to Christchurch Airport to fly home.
About 11.20am, Chu turned off State Highway 1 on to Dawsons Rd near Templeton, while following GPS instructions to the airport.
Chu crossed a railway but failed to stop at a stop sign at Dawson Rd and drove into the path of a 4WD vehicle driving along Jones Rd and coming from her right.
Emergency services arrived soon after and worked on her father, but he died at the scene.
Her mother received multiple rib injuries, a small pneumothorax, laceration to the liver and a fractured scapular. The four other occupants were uninjured.
Chu admitted the crash was her fault, telling police she did not see the stop sign.
Chu's mother sat in court today with her arm in a sling to witness the sentencing of her daughter, who wept in the dock.
The judge stressed that the nature of the careless driving charges was that her actions had not been deliberate or reckless.
"Her fault was relatively small; it's the consequences which make the matter serious," Judge Couch said.
The case was unusual in that its impact was so high on one family, he said.
Letters from Chu, her mother, and brother had been provided to the court.
Judge Couch read extracts from them today, highlighting the crash's impact on the family.
Both Chu's mother and brother said they were supporting Chu.
"My sister is blaming herself ... I don't want to see her traumatised any more," her brother said.
Her mother said the fact she was a widow, and received serious injuries in the crash, was nothing compared to the pain of watching her devastated daughter "live with the pain every day and carrying it for the rest of her life".
Chu herself wrote that she lost her husband, a policeman and firefighter, five years ago in a motorbike crash on his way home from work.
"It was the darkest day of my life," she said.
Her parents found it "heartbreaking" to see her suffering from the loss of her husband, and so planned and saved for years for the family trip to New Zealand.
But that dream holiday ended in tragedy last month, and Chu said she can "never forgive myself for the damage I have done".
"There is so much pain in my heart," she said.
There was nothing the court could do to reduce the scale and impact for the victims of this family tragedy, Judge Couch said.
"No further punishment is required," he said in convicting and sentencing Chu to pay $2000 emotional harm repayment to the driver of the 4WD.
Chu was also disqualified from driving for two years.