NZ Newswire

New charge for school bus crash driver

NZ Newswire February 23, 2012, 12:01 pm

A truck driver facing a raft of driving charges after a crash with a school bus in Bay of Plenty has also been charged with drink driving over another incident.

Ruatoki man Joe Nika Morehu faces 19 driving related charges, including 16 of dangerous driving causing injury and driving with excess breath alcohol.

He was granted bail in Whakatane District Court on Thursday, but entered no plea to the charges, APNZ reports.

His bail conditions prevent him from driving.

Morehu is accused of driving his logging truck into the back of a school bus near Ruatoki, south of Whakatane, on September 5 last year.

The crash left 35 people, including Morehu, injured.

Police allege he failed to stop short, or manoeuvre around, the school bus as it was pulling over to let children off.

Morehu also faces a charge over an early morning crash on December 17, where he allegedly crashed a car into a kohanga reo, a tractor and a fence.

He was found to have 165mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood - more than twice the legal limit of 80mg per 100ml.

Morehu will reappear in Whakatane District Court on March 22.

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