Call it a hare-brained idea – a New Zealand man ended up in court after getting into an accident that injured three of his friends and wrecked his utility vehicle while attempting to chase a hare.
Ikawai resident Reuben Jacob Allan, 44, faced the Timaru District Court in December and admitted to three charges of carelessly operating a vehicle off-road causing injury, the NZ Herald reported.
On July 25, 2020, Allan and three friends were on his farm, shooting ducks and drinking. In the evening, the group hopped into the defendant’s Isuzu ute to get some firewood after their stock ran out. As they drove through a paddock, Allan spotted a hare and made a sharp turn to the left in an attempt to chase it. However, he lost control of the vehicle and it made a complete roll before landing on its left side. None of the men in the vehicle were wearing seatbelts.
While all four men were able to get out of the vehicle, one of the passengers suffered a serious injury and was immobilised until emergency services got to the scene. He was then air-lifted to Christchurch Hospital, where he was diagnosed with two dislocated vertebrae in his neck, as well as severe facial bruising.
The second passenger walked off but went to the Timaru Hospital the next day after feeling unwell. It was discovered he had also suffered two dislocated neck vertebrae, a fracture in the lower spine, a ruptured eardrum, and minor brain bleeding.
The third passenger had rib and collarbone fractures.
Allan admitted he had consumed alcohol prior to driving, but was not considered intoxicated.
The vehicle, estimated to cost $30,000, was not covered by insurance.
Judge Joanna Maize sentenced Allan with a six-month suspension of his drivers’ licence, following an appeal from the defendant that a permanent disqualification from driving would significantly affect the support he needed to provide for his isolated mother and his children. Maize noted that Allan lived in a rural area, which lacks public transport compared to cities and towns. No fines were imposed, due to the huge financial impact of losing the vehicle.
According to defence counsel Emma Middlemass, Allan and the three passengers remained close friends even after the incident. The defendant offered to make emotional harm payments, but the friends declined.
