Offroad-Express

Bulletproof wrote:On TV1 news tonite they are thinking of charging the driver.

Oldroverlover wrote:If this is the youth of today god help us all

Oldroverlover wrote:If this is the youth of today god help us all

Experienced' off-roader ends up in court
The Timaru Herald
Last updated 05:00 16/09/2009

A Temuka youth, who considered himself an experienced off-road driver, drove into the flooded Opihi River and then he, his passengers and a dog had to be winched to safety by a helicopter.

Timothy Sheldon Craddock, 17, pleaded guilty when he appeared before Judge Gary MacAskill in the Timaru District Court yesterday, to charges of driving into the river with reckless disregard for the safety of others, and dangerous driving causing injury to his passenger in relation to a crash four months earlier.

Craddock had recently bought the Toyota 4WD when he drove to the Grassy Banks area about 5pm on May 1. The river was in flood and about a metre deep when he drove into it. A front wheel went into a hole and the vehicle turned 180 degrees. It floated downstream until it became stuck on gravel. The vehicle began to fill up with water.

The occupants called the emergency services, but due to the conditions and darkness falling, a rescue helicopter was called to winch Craddock and his passengers off the vehicle.

His partner, one of his passengers on the river trip, received serious leg injuries when Craddock crashed another vehicle four months earlier.

Before the crash Craddock had driven a friend to Waimate early in the morning and was then heading home to Temuka when he drove off the road and hit a culvert. His partner received numerous broken bones in her legs and was flown to Christchurch Hospital by rescue helicopter. She was in hospital for four weeks.

Counsel Campbell Savage suggested Craddock had a low level of culpability for the early-morning crash, having fallen asleep on a lengthy drive.

He had made numerous trips to Christchurch to assist his partner when she was in hospital. His $2500 vehicle was written off.

He had had some off-road training and when Craddock drove into the river, circumstances took a turn for the worst, Mr Savage said.

Craddock was a first offender and deeply remorseful over what had happened.

Judge MacAskill was not impressed with the more than 20 traffic infringements Craddock had received, noting he had $7000 owing in fines.

He sentenced Craddock to 150 hours community work and disqualified him from driving for nine months.