Tougher line on drink-driving

[MotherBear]

Call for tougher line on drink-driving
5:00AM Friday March 02, 2007


A police serious crash investigator does a skid test at the Mokau crash site. Photo / Herald on Sunday

A coroner has called for Parliament to consider imposing longer disqualification periods for drink-drivers to help curb the number of alcohol-related road deaths.
New Plymouth coroner Roger Mori made the call when making his findings into a double fatal smash on State Highway 3 near Mokau last July.

He found Clint Trinity Ratima, 32, and Jennifer Lucy Trentham, 48, died at the scene of multiple injuries when Mr Ratima's car crossed the centre line and collided head on with an oncoming vehicle.

Mr Mori said Mr Ratima was to blame for the crash as he was drunk, having spent the afternoon drinking with friends at the home of Mokau's sole-charge policeman, Jonathan Erwood. Mr Erwood, who had also been drinking, attended the crash scene and was later discharged without conviction for drink-driving.

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