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A young man killed in a crash that also killed another man was a disqualified driver who had just pleaded guilty to drink-driving after an incident a few weeks earlier.
Zejayohn Keyli-West Hurinui, 24, of Cheviot and Anthony Thomas Wood, 69, of Methven died in the double-fatal crash on DomettRd, (State Highway 1) in Hurunui, North Canterbury on April 26.
Wood’s wife, Kate Wood, was seriously injured and suffered several broken bones.
Kate Wood described her late husband Tony, a former Mt Hutt College teacher and community stalwart, as a man who “went out of his way to help” other people.
The Herald can now reveal that earlier on the day of the fatal crash Hurinui appeared in the Christchurch District Court, pleaded guilty to drink-driving and was sentenced.
According to the summary of facts for the drink-driving charge, obtained by the Herald, Hurinui was driving a Mazda east on Scargill Valley Rd in North Canterbury about 1am on April 1.
He stopped to roll a cigarette near Scargill Valley and underwent a roadside breath screening test which gave a result of over 400 micrograms per litre of breath. A subsequent evidential breath test gave a result of 949 micrograms of alcohol per litre of breath.
The summary says Hurinui told police he had dropped his partner off and was heading home to Cheviot.
The summary says the penalty for the offence is either three months’ imprisonment or a $4500 fine. It says the court must order the person to be disqualified from holding or obtaining a driver’s licence for six months or more.
A relative of Hurinui said the family declined to comment on the crash because of the ongoing investigation, however, they wanted to send their “prayers and thoughts to the other family that lost a loved one in this tragic accident as well”.
Kate Wood says her husband Tony went out of his way to help others. Photo / Supplied
Kate Wood told the Herald she did not want to comment on the other driver.
“His family will be suffering as much as I am and I don’t want to add anything to that.”
Wood said she and her husband were coming to a corner and the headlights from Hurinui’s car “just appeared” out of the darkness.
“Suddenly there were lights and I even saw the white line go under his headlights as he headed towards us”.
Tony Wood was a Methven community stalwart who had four businesses. Kate Wood said the former Mt Hutt College teacher was a “well-known man who went out of his way to help those that he felt deserved helping”.
“If you came and stayed at our ski lodge you got an all-round package,”
“He acted more as a friend to his regular clients than he acted as a businessman.”
She added that “basically everybody” in the district from about 30 to 55 would have been taught by him.
“There’s a lot of people who know him and dealt with him.”
Wood said she had “various broken bones”, but had full movement and was not in much physical pain. However, there was a “huge emotional toll”.
“There’s a large number of us trying to come to terms with the four businesses that he ran solely… thankfully I’ve got a bunch of people who have come in and taken some of those businesses off my hands and they’re dealing with them the best they can.”
