23 Aug 2016

Chinese visitor pleads guilty over fatal Dunedin crash

11:40 am on 23 August 2016

A Chinese visitor has pleaded guilty to driving carelessly, causing the death of a Dunedin photographer.

Riley Baker and partner Amy McCarthy

Riley Baker and partner Amy McCarthy. Photo: Supplied

Riley Baker, 26, died in hospital after his motorbike collided with a car on State Highway One near Hampden in North Otago on 13 August.

Limin Ma, 41, was on a visit with his family from Shanghai was charged shortly after the crash.

Ma today pleaded guilty in the Dunedin District Court, and was convicted for the careless driving.

He was accompanied by a translator, but did not say anything in court.

According to the police summary of facts, Ma was trying to cross to a rest area on the other side of the road, to get a view of the ocean.

Ma did not see Mr Baker, who was in the process of overtaking a vehicle on his motorbike, and the two collided.

Ma's lawyer, Anne Stevens, produced evidence in court to show he has clean driving and criminal records in China, and said he was available to do community work and reparations.

Ma will be sentenced on 7 September.