12 May 2021

Teen appears in court charged with careless driving over fatal crash

12:00 pm on 12 May 2021

A 19-year-old charged with careless driving over the death of an RSE worker can be named.

28072016 Photo: Rebekah Parsons-King. Napier Court

Photo: RNZ / Rebekah Parsons-King

Nicholas Yorke appeared in the Napier District Court this morning.

Police allege in October last year, Yorke was driving a van of workers on the highway between Napier and Taupō.

The van was about to turn into a road when a truck came in from behind, the police said after the crash.

A 37-year-old Samoan man, Tino Tagiilima, died and nine other people were injured.

Yorke was critically injured in the crash.

He did not enter a plea and is due to reappear in court next month.