The sole survivor of a crash that killed five Timaru teenagers has pled guilty to five charges of dangerous driving causing death in the High Court at Timaru this morning.
Tyreese Fleming, 19, who was driving on a restricted licence he’d only held for two days, was originally charged with five counts of manslaughter.
Javarney Drummond, 15, Niko Hill, 15, Jack Wallace, 16, Joseff McCarthy, 16, and Andrew Goodger, 15, were all killed when the car they were travelling in hit a concrete power pole on August 6, 2021.
Tyreese Fleming, 19, had been drinking and was driving an overloaded car when it smashed into a power pole. (Source: 1News)
The impact of the smash split the Nissan Bluebird in two.
A dozen family members of the teenagers were in court for Fleming's appearance, for the first time hearing the summary of facts with details of how the crash took place.
Read more: Cousin of Timaru crash victim remembers 'young, sweet kid'
They heard early that night Fleming had purchased two boxes of Long White vodka RTDs at a liquor store and headed to the Timaru skate park, where the whole group drank the alcohol.
Crown prosecutor Andrew McCrae read out the summary, which said: "Fleming sent a Snapchat of himself sculling two bottles of the alcohol, before allowing all of the boys into his car."
One of the boys was in the boot. He rang a friend, who overheard one of the passengers telling Fleming to speed up.
Read more: Friend of five Timaru crash victims left 'heartbroken'
Travelling 110km/h to 115km/h, Fleming failed to take a turn, with the overloading of the vehicle and having a passenger in the boot impacting his ability to control the vehicle. It slammed into a large concrete pole. Two of the boys were flung from the vehicle, and all the passengers were killed instantly.
In a Snapchat from his hospital bed, Fleming said: "Hello everyone I am not dead, I am so so so sorry about the mistakes I have made that has cost five lives."
He will be sentenced on June 29. Fleming has been released on bail, and is allowed to make contact with the families of the victims as part of the restorative justice process.
SHARE ME