A Taranaki man faces a hefty insurance bill after crashing into six cars at an intersection while being high on methamphetamine, Stuff.co.nz reports.
On June 19, Adam Lewis Belton crashed through two rows of cars, including a patrol car, stopped at a New Plymouth interaction.
“He crashed between the two rows of stationary vehicles striking six of them before careering through the intersection and coming to a stop a short distance away,” the police summary indicated, as reported by Stuff.co.nz.
The summary also stated that Belton was “slurring his words, couldn’t focus his eyes, and was sweating profusely” when the police caught up with him near the scene. His blood test returned a positive result for meth use.
Belton ended up in court for one charge of driving in a dangerous manner and one of driving impaired.
Defence lawyer Kylie Pascoe said that Belton was not covered by his own insurance policy as he was high at the time of the incident – making him liable for the six damaged cars as the victims’ insurers recoup costs.
She argued that the costs from the crash were punitive enough and asked Judge Garry Barkle to consider a sentence of supervision and judicial monitoring for further punishment.
Judge Barkle convicted Belton on the two charges and sentenced him to 12 months of supervision, which includes a special condition to attend drug treatment. He also disqualified Belton from driving for nine months and ordered him to pay $778.94 reparation for the medical and analysis fees.
