Motorist charged with causing death of three NZ cyclists through careless driving

A driver who killed three cyclists when she crashed into a group of ten riders near Morrinsville, New Zealand, last month has been charged with careless driving causing death.

The fatal accident took place on Sunday 14 November on the Walton- Morrinsville Road, when the cyclists, all members of the Morrinsville Wheelers Cycling Club, were on a training ride.

Two of the cyclists, Mark Ferguson, 46, and Wilhelm Muller, 71, were pronounced dead at the scene, while the third, Kay Wolfe, died four days later in hospital from the injuries she received in the crash.

Kay Heather Wolfe, 45, of Gordonton, was one of 10 cyclists from the Morrinsville Wheelers Cycling Club riding along Morrinsville-Walton Road, about 32km northeast of Hamilton, when a 23-year-old woman crossed the centre line in her car and ploughed into them.

Inspector Leo Tooman, Waikato District Road Policing Manager, confirmed that a 23-year-old female, who according to reports shortly after the accident had hit the group of cyclists after crossing the central line in the road, had been charged in connection with the incident, and will appear before Morrinsville District Court on December 15.

He added that four families had been affected by the accident, and expressed hope that it would remind people of the speed with which road conditions can change.

"No one wants to see a repeat of what happened,” said Inspector Tooman, quoted on the TV NZ website. “The important thing to remember is the importance of all drivers to maintain their situational awareness and be aware of the conditions at all times."