Hero truckie in for the long haul with drink-driver

Pat Ratu

The truckie who saved the lives of a drink-driver and her 2-year-old daughter has offered to help the woman get her life back on track.

Truck driver Pat Ratu was not in the Manukau District Court yesterday for the sentencing of Karina Maree Coburn, 43, but his wife, Dolly, sat in the public gallery to show the couple's support for the woman.

The mother of five had driven hundreds of kilometres, drinking wine, with her daughter in the front seat.

As she drove down State Highway 3, through the King Country wandering between lanes, other motorists called police. Near the Awakino Gorge, Mr Ratu, a driver for transporter Carr and Haslam Ltd, saw Coburn weaving. Just before the gorge he passed her and jack-knifed his truck, forcing Coburn to stop.

Two empty wine bottles sat in the back seat of Coburn's Nissan, and she told police she had been drinking wine since she started driving after leaving a baby shower in Waiuku.

Coburn was sentenced to nine months' supervision and disqualified from driving for six months for driving with a breath-alcohol of 1066 micrograms of alcohol per litre of breath on October 19. The limit is 400.

Judge Epati Aeau was told Coburn had faced a trial by media.

"She is more than contrite. She acknowledges the risk she placed on both her daughter and the public," said her lawyer, Kirsten Giles.

Coburn said in court she was embarrassed by the situation. She said the father of her five children had died of cancer two months before she got behind the wheel.

Judge Aeau ordered her to attend drug and alcohol counselling as directed by her probation officer.

Coburn wrote to Mr Ratu to thank him for what he did. Outside court, Mrs Ratu said the couple wanted to support Coburn, a first time offender, and offer any help she needed.

"I feel really sorry for her and so does Pat," Mrs Ratu said, adding her husband stayed home to avoid media attention.

Mr Ratu has been named Highway Hero of 2005 for his actions, an award created by Police, Land Transport New Zealand, Beaurepaires and New Zealand Trucking magazine. He will receive his award at Parliament tomorrow.

It is the second time Mr Ratu has been nominated as a Highway Hero. In 2003 he spent two hours immersed in offal comforting the trapped driver of a crashed truck near Taranaki.

He told the Herald he felt bad but he had to do something when he saw the little girl in Coburn's car.

"I'm glad I'm getting it but sad I had to do it. You have to do something and do something bloody quick to save a life. I saw that they would definitely die," Mr Ratu said.