Fresh charge laid against mum of Broncos star Payne Haas after horror Gold Coast triple-fatal crash

The scene where three people were killed in a horror crash on Bonogin Rd, Queensland. Photo / Facebook

Queensland police will allege the mother of a star Brisbane Broncos player was drink-driving at the time of a horror crash that killed three people in the Gold Coast hinterland, a court has heard.

Uiatu “Joan” Taufua, the mother of Broncos forward Payne Haas, was the sole survivor of a two-car collision in Bonogin in December that resulted in a silver Mercedes being knocked from the road into a power pole.

The occupants of the second car, Susan Zimmer, 70, her partner Chris Fawcett, 79, and Zimmer’s daughter Steffanie, died at the scene, and Taufua has been charged with manslaughter over their deaths.

Taufua, 46, is charged with three counts of manslaughter, one count each of dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, evading police and driving without a licence.

When Taufua’s matter was briefly mentioned on Thursday in Southport Magistrates Court, her new defence lawyer, Sophie Dagg, told the court a new charge had been laid against her client.

Taufua had been excused early from her video link connection, and therefore was not there to hear the charge laid against her.

Court documents revealed Taufua had been charged nearly two months after the crash with mid-range drink driving offence on February 23.

Magistrate Kerry Magee said police must have gotten “the results back” of the blood alcohol reading taken from Taufua on the day of the crash.

Police allege Taufua was seen driving a black 2017 Mercedes wagon “dangerously” along Bonogin Rd near Calanthe Lane just before 5pm.

She allegedly fled the scene when officers activated their warning lights and attempted to intercept the vehicle.

No pursuit was undertaken.

Shortly afterwards, officers were flagged down by a motorist who informed them of a crash involving the black Mercedes wagon and another silver Mercedes hatchback about a kilometre down the road.

Emergency services were able to free the family from the silver Mercedes but they died at the scene.

Taufua was pulled from the black Mercedes, which caught fire, and was taken to hospital.

Dagg told the court she’d only received a partial brief of evidence from police, and was waiting for “quite a number” of outstanding documents.

Magee ordered the matter be adjourned to April 27 for further mention.

Speaking outside court, Dagg told reporters her client was “highly remorseful”.

“We just have our thoughts with the families involved in these tragic circumstances,” Dagg said.