Elderly couple killed by driver fleeing police

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Fri, 27 Aug 2010 6:00a.m.

An disqualified driver sped through a red light and collided with the couple's car (file)

An disqualified driver sped through a red light and collided with the couple's car (file)

Police say the officers involved in a fatal crash in Christchurch last night are “devastated”.

An elderly couple were killed when a disqualified driver sped through a red light and collided with their car.

The 73-year-old driver and his passenger, believed to be aged in her 60s, were both killed.

“Blame for this tragedy lies entirely with this driver,” says police are commander, Inspector Malcolm Johnston said.

“He was signalled to stop and he should have stopped.”

The offender suffered minor head injuries and was taken to hospital.

It is understood he was well-known to Christchurch police.

“Police were duty-bound to stop this driver,” says Mr Johnston.

“Travelling at nearly 90kmph along Ferry Rd is a recipe for disaster. He could have killed anyone at any stage.”

The incident follows a triple-fatal police pursuit in Christchurch last month.

Shannon Smiler-O’Connor, 26, was killed in the crash on July 10 when the car he was travelling in sped away from a routine police stop at 1am.

After pursuing the car for a few streets, police found it smashed into a concrete pole at the intersection of Manchester St and Moorhouse Ave.

The car's driver Tama Regan Dobson, 27, and another passenger, Karleane Marie Magon, 20, died in hospital weeks after the crash.

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Comments

27 Aug 2010 12:04p.m.

DT wrote:

The government is too soft and we see this every day. Too many people are losing lives and loved ones. Harden up and sentence them, offenders should not be on the road!

27 Aug 2010 11:47a.m.

Angry wrote:

"Shannon Smiler-O’Connor, 26, was killed in the crash on July 10 when the car he was travelling in sped away from a routine police stop at 1am." Perhaps we should just say that if anyone refuses to be arrested or stopped by the police for ANYTHING then we should just let them go - after all they might hurt themselves trying to get away. This way no one would get hurt trying to evade the police. What could go wrong?

27 Aug 2010 11:34a.m.

Bruno wrote:

If this idiot was known to the police....could they not have caught up with him later?.

27 Aug 2010 11:27a.m.

Shelley wrote:

Another senseless tragedy. It's about time drivers who do not stop when signalled to do so by the authorities are immediately jailed when caught to await sentencing.
Stop the softly softly approach..... to many innocent people are being traumatised (or worse) by these idiots.

I hope this person gets charged with murder.

27 Aug 2010 11:08a.m.

Te Rina wrote:

New Zealand needs a law like the United States of First degree homicide by vehicle This is a felony, that upon conviction will result in a sentence of between 3 and 15 years of imprisonment (or between 5 and 20 years for habitual violators), with no parole for at least 1 year. A homicide is first degree homicide by vehicle if the driver was driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs; failed to stop for, or otherwise was attempting to flee from a law enforcement officer; or had previously been declared a habitual violator". As a nation we are way to soft on people who intentionally run from the police. Running away from the police is not the police's fault the blame should lay completley with the person fleeing. My late father alwasy told me if your not doing anything wrong then you have nothign to fear by being stopped by the police.

27 Aug 2010 10:55a.m.

Lorraine wrote:

And will he get the death penalty.oh sorry forgot this is New Zealand

27 Aug 2010 10:53a.m.

Glen wrote:

about time the parents of these kids and the governance of this country grew some nuts, these people killed were doing nothing but getting on with thier lives, only for it to end due to the actions of a brain dead muppet. show him no mercy in hospital, put him in a cell and throw away the key.
Reality is that someone ( an even more brain dead muppet) will ultimatly try and lay blame at someone elses feet and justify. The actions of our society are doing society no favours.

27 Aug 2010 10:52a.m.

Carol Ryan wrote:

I along with many other law abiding citizens are sick to death of the way the Media in general turn the blame on to the Police when glamorizing criminal idiots who dont obey the law and it is always the innocent people getting hurt.The Police are employed to enforce the law. Let them do it.This latest burglary in Auckland where the criminal dropped dead is another example with the poor Chemist getting the pressure because he was defending his property.
Get with it for God sake New Zealand and get behind the Police give them the power to protect us from the scumbags out there.

27 Aug 2010 09:41a.m.

Jade wrote:

Stop suspending their licences, take that AND their cars off them. Look at the statistics, the present law doesn't work. Harden up NZ, it keeps happening because they get off so lightly it's a joke. All these bastards need to face the devastation they've caused. Put them in a room with the families WITHOUT the security of having any sort of guard because they don't deserve that right. They lost that privilege the second they decided to run. They're more likely to learn from their mistakes if they are properly punished for making them in the first place. Stop coddling criminals, give them the absolute harshest penalty for their crimes or I guarantee you it will happen again.

27 Aug 2010 08:06a.m.

Ruz wrote:

According to the news, these latest two deaths bring the number of deaths this year involving a police chase to 13.