Teen's 'heartless' Halloween costume post after causing cyclist's death
A teenage learner driver who posted an image of herself in a prison jumpsuit with the caption ‘hide your children’, only a few months after killing a young cyclist, has escaped jail.
Rouxle Le Roux, from Auckland, was sentenced for dangerous driving causing death on Friday after killing 15-year-old Nathan Kraatskow in a hit-and-run in May, the New Zealand Herald reports.
Nathan was hit at an intersection in Albany, north of Auckland.
The Year 11 student, who was an air force cadet, was on a bike and did not have a helmet on when he was struck by the car and died at the scene.
According to local reports Le Roux, 19, had smoked marijuana and had wine earlier on in the day.
The boy’s mother, Charlene Kraatskow, told the court her heart was absolutely broken following his death.
“I don’t think it will ever get better, I think we will just learn to live without him,” Ms Kraatskow said.
“I will always miss my cheeky, caring boy and will always dream of the man he was growing up to be.”
The mother said she had felt sorry for the driver when she found out she was a teenager as well, but she was sent an Instagram post of Le Roux in the orange jumpsuit for Halloween with the caption: “hide your children”, The New Zealand Herald reports.
The lawyer for Le Roux said her client wholeheartedly accepted her social media post was “ill-thought out”.
Belinda Sellars, QC also said her client had since needed to be hospitalised for mental health reasons and was sorry, Stuff reports.
According to the publication the lawyer also said Le Roux did not see the teenage cyclist, but had been driving 11km/h above the speed limit.
The teenage boy had failed to stop for a red signal, was wearing headphones and did not have a helmet on, Stuff reports.
Le Roux had two passengers in the car at the time of the accident. The group slowed down but Le Roux was told not to stop, the New Zealand Herald reports.
One of her passengers went back to the scene in a different car, but did not stop.
Le Roux and her passengers reportedly went to police about 16 hours after the crash.
She has been sentenced to 11 months’ home detention and 250 hours of community work.
Le Roux has also been disqualified from driving for two and a half years.
