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BENN BATHGATE / STUFF / Waikato Times
Xianju Pan, photographed at an earlier hearing, was sentenced to 11 months of house arrest after drunk driving killed a 71-year-old man.
An acupuncture business owner who ran over and killed a 71-year-old woman told police that he did not even remember driving down the road where he struck her because he was “too drunk.”
Xianju Pan had been celebrating the Chinese New Year with friends at a Rotorua restaurant on January 23 this year and drinking beer and the Baiju Chinese spirit, which is similar to whiskey.
According to the police summary of events, Pan returned to his BMW SUV and drove off.
“The defendant was observed by other motorists cutting another motorist while navigating a roundabout in the Central Mall area, not indicating any of the turns he made and crossing the center line.”
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Two other drivers alerted to his poor driving worried that Pan was “a very poor or intoxicated driver.”
As Pan approached the intersection of Ranolf St, so did Martine Gale. She was returning from the supermarket with the help of her wheeled stroller.
“She was observed and clearly visible to the drivers of the two vehicles directly behind the defendant’s vehicle,” the summary reads.
“The defendant did not stop. The front end of the defendant’s vehicle hit Ms. Gale and she was immediately knocked to the ground and went under the vehicle. “
Pan slowed but did not stop, and another motorist who witnessed the accident followed him home.
“The civilian motorist observed him stumble and sway as he entered the address.”
That witness called the police at Pan’s address, who spent about four minutes knocking on his door before showing up and asked “what happened?”
“The defendant smelled of alcohol, his eyes were glassy and he spoke badly.”
Gale, who was taken to Waikato hospital, died on January 29, and the cause of death was found to be head trauma.
Pan declined to comment formally in a DVD interview but made “several spontaneous comments.”
“In relation to the accident itself, the defendant said that he did not recall hitting anyone while driving, he remembers being on Devon St and explained that this is the address of a patient of his,” the summary reads.
“The defendant said he did not recall driving to Devon St and believes the reason for this is that he was too drunk.”
Pan was sentenced in Rotorua Superior Court Wednesday on charges of driving with excessive breath alcohol and failing to stop after an accident.
He received 11 months of home detention and was disqualified from driving for four years.
