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Maxine Jacobs / Stuff
Lance Dillon Bell died after Laura Amy Brown turned in front of her bike on State Highway 56 in August.
An apprentice driver who killed a motorcyclist turning in front of him on a state highway was unable to keep his identity a secret.
Judge Bruce Northwood on Tuesday rejected an argument in Palmerston North District Court that appointing Laura Amy Brown would cause difficulties for her employer, the Waka Kotahi NZ Transportation Agency.
Brown, 26, pleaded guilty to reckless driving that caused the death of Lance Dillon Bell.
Bell was killed when Brown turned in front of him while riding his Harley-Davidson motorcycle down State Highway 56 on the morning of August 6.
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Brown, in violation of the learner’s license he had been on for nine years by driving without L plates and a fully licensed driver, was heading south from Palmerston North toward Rangiotu.
He moved into a right turn bay to turn onto Rangiotu Rd and saw Bell’s motorcycle headlight.
He misjudged the distance and crossed his path.
You hit your Toyota on the front passenger side, the force of the crash tore the front wheel and steering of your motorcycle.
Bell, who was traveling between 44 and 68 km / h at the time of the accident, was thrown up to 30 meters.
Other motorists soon arrived and helped Bell, who was conscious.
But he quickly deteriorated, lost consciousness, and became unresponsive at the hospital due to his internal injuries.
He died later that afternoon despite emergency surgery and attempts to resuscitate him.
Brown told police that he saw the light, but thought it was “forever”.
Brown had his name deleted until Tuesday’s hearing, and his attorney Mike Andrews asked that he continue.
Police prosecutor Chris Whitmore said police opposed the continuation of the crackdown but needed time to properly address it.
The judge said it shouldn’t be a case of “turning it around” until Brown was sentenced.
Defendants are required by law to file a moot suppression case if they want to keep their name secret from their second appearance onward.
“[Rolling it over] it’s not the way it’s supposed to happen, ”the judge said.
“You get a rolling snowball of continuous name suppression.”
Submissions written on Brown’s behalf suggested that naming her could hurt the agency or cause her to lose her job.
He had worked for the agency for 18 months on vehicle licensing.
She said in an affidavit that a manager told her she would lose her job.
She believed the agency, which promotes road safety, could suffer reputational damage if her name were published.
The judge said the agency would know of Brown’s situation whether or not his name was released, while there was nothing to back up the reputational damage claims.
Bell’s partner also wanted Brown’s name published, and the law required that victims’ views on the crackdown be taken into account.
Brown will be sentenced in March.
