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Hamish McNeilly / Stuff
An injured person is pulled out of a rescue helicopter at Dunedin Hospital after the bus accident in January.
A bus driver from China who admitted to causing an accident in which a girl lost an arm and a hand and a woman lost an arm has appealed his sentence in High Court in an attempt to stay in New Zealand.
Liang Fang was sentenced to 200 hours of community service and disqualified from driving for nine months when he appeared in Queenstown District Court in June.
Fang previously admitted careless driving charges that caused injuries to Leyao Dong, Qin He, Jun Yang, and Yixin Cai.
At his sentencing, Judge John Strettell rejected a request for discharge without conviction.
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In Invercargill High Court on Monday, before Judge Rachel Dunningham, the court heard that Fang had since been asked to leave New Zealand.
He argued that the discharge without a conviction request should not have been rejected.
Fang’s attorney, Grant Tyrrell, argued that the consequences were out of proportion to the level of guilt.
Crown prosecutor Riki Donnelly said that the appellant had no right to remain in New Zealand, but that if he left, willingly and without being deported, he could apply to New Zealand again.
Fang was driving a 28-seater tour bus towing a large trailer with a group of 22 Chinese tourists on board, which crashed into a downhill corner with a 45km / h warning sign on January 21 at Wilson Bay in Glenorchy. -Queenstown Rd.
He was believed to be traveling at 62 km / h at the time of the accident.
St John staff treated 20 people for injuries.
A 10-year-old girl lost both hands and then an arm was removed from her shoulder.
Another woman had her arm amputated near her shoulder.
The Awing Travel NZ Ltd bus and trailer overturned and skidded about 40 meters after Fang lost control on a downhill curve about 10 kilometers from central Queenstown.
The speed limit on the highway was 100km / h and it was known to be wavy and twisted.
In sentencing, Judge Strettell said that Fang had resided in New Zealand since 2016 and was employed as a bus driver. He drove groups of tourists from Christchurch to Wānaka and Queenstown for three or four days, visiting places of interest.
Fang had previously driven on the highway four or five times.
Judge Dunningham reserved his decision.
