Southland man sentenced for causing a car crash that killed two people | Stuff.co.nz

Southland man sentenced for causing a car crash that killed two people Che Baker 17:29, Mar 09 2021 Kavinda Herath/Stuff The crash at Makarewa which claimed two lives and severely injured a teenager on September 2. On the eve of what would have been Ruby Harris’ first birthday, her mother has been able to tell the person at fault of her death in a horrific car crash the pain he has caused. Brooke McDowall-Blick lost her only daughter in the crash as well as her partner, Ruby’s dad Matthew Harris, 23. Wilson Prasidh Narayan, 46, pleaded guilty to five driving charges in relation to the crash on September 2, on the outskirts of Invercargill. The charges were: Two of careless driving causing death, two of careless driving causing injury, and one of careless driving. He pleaded guilty to a sixth charge of careless driving for a separate crash on October 16, in which he lost control of his vehicle and collided with the back of a parked vehicle on Tweed St, Invercargill, before hitting another two parked vehicles. He told police at the scene he may have fallen asleep after nightshift. McDowall-Blick read her victim impact statement in the Invercargill District Court on Tuesday, where Narayan was sentenced. READ MORE: * Southern fire chief urges drivers to pay attention, as those killed are named Stuff Wilson Prasidh Narayan in court last month when he pleaded guilty to charges in relation to a fatal crash on the outskirts of Invercargill in September 2020. McDowall-Blick said at 24-years-old, she had lost the love of her life, and her baby girl – her only child. She had also been in the crash, and had been told Ruby was okay. “I got to the hospital, and they told me she didn’t make it; my heart broke into a million pieces. Then 3-4 hours later they told us about Matt. He died at the scene, Ruby was a fighter.” “Matt was the love of my life … we were going to get married, go on holiday together and of course have more children.” McDowall-Blick said she had panic attacks and breakdowns daily. “Your actions have ruined my life … I have images of Matt and Ruby burnt into my mind. Every night I lay there thinking of holding my daughter lifeless in my arms. They would have been celebrating Ruby’s first birthday on Wednesday. Stuff Matthew Dale Harris, 22, and his infant daughter, Ruby Jane Harris, died after the vehicle they were in was struck by another vehicle on State Highway 6, near Invercargill on 2nd of September Harris’ mother Cathy also spoke of her grief about losing her son and granddaughter. “Our grief is terminal. Our grief is deep and gut-wrenching. Our grief is constant.” Six people read victim impact statements, and expressed there concerns that Nayaran had been involved in the second crash. The double fatal crash in September was caused when Nayaran, driving a Ford Ranger and towing a trailer, drifted across the centreline on a straight stretch of State Highway 6 in clear conditions, while heading towards Winton, at 3.55pm. With three vehicles approaching from the opposite direction, Nayaran’s vehicle collided with the first vehicle, a Toyota Rav, which had taken evasive action. Nayaran’s vehicle then collided head-on with a second vehicle, a Mazda. The Mazda was forced backwards and momentarily became airborne when a third vehicle, another Mazda, collided with it. This resulted in the deaths of Harris and his infant daughter who were in the back seat of the second Mazda. The engine and transmission of the first Mazda were forced out of the engine bay at some point of the collision and landed on the road five metres away. Narayan, who extracted himself from his vehicle which had slid into a roadside earth bank, sustained a broken sternum. He told police he could not recall the crash happening until his airbags deployed. In explanation, Narayan stated he may have had a blackout or fallen asleep just prior to the crash. Ella Ashley, 17, had been in the first Mazda and was critically injured in the crash. She survived, but sustained serious injuries and underwent her seventh major surgery in Dunedin Hospital last week. Her victim impact statement, as well as her mother’s, was read in court as she remained in hospital. Her father Mike, who read his statement, had arrived at the scene and watched the rescue helicopter leave. “I witnessed things that will stay with me forever.” The crash had impacted the family financially and emotionally. Lawyer Roger Eagles said clearly Narayan had been fatigued at the time of the incident, and had been undergoing treatment for sleep issues at the time. A medical certificate had been provided to the court. Judge John Brandts-Giesen said sentencing had been difficult. Words could not describe the grief of the families and no sentence would be adequate as a price could not be put in place on human life, pain and suffering, the judge said. He sentenced Narayan to six months’ home detention, 100 hours’ community work, disqualifed from dirivng for 15 months and ordered to pay an emotional harm payment of $8000 to McDowall-Blick and $4000 to Ashley. Stuff