Long road to recovery for crash victim
A victim of Joseph Theodorus Martinus Van Roij’s careless driving has had 30 hours of reconstructive surgery and more rehabilitation and surgery lies ahead.
Some of the victims of the September 19 crash he caused on the Main North Road at Woodend were at the Christchurch District Court today to see him sentenced.
Van Roij also goes by the name Joost.
The Motunau Beach, North Canterbury, man, 52, offered to pay the victims a total of $6000 , and that was accepted by Judge Stephen O’Driscoll.
He did not fine Van Roij, but disqualified him from driving for 10 months and ordered the emotional harm payment.
Van Roij had pleaded guilty on October 28 to four charges of careless driving causing injury. He ran into the back of a van that was stationary and signalling a right turn into Pa Road, pushing it into the other lane. Two more vehicles then ran into the crashed cars.
Defence counsel Rupert Ward said it had been a horrific accident and Van Roij was very remorseful for the injuries and damage he had caused. He accepted being responsible for the accident though he had no memory of it. He had met the victims at a restorative justice conference.
The sentencing came at the end of what he described as a “hellish” year for Van Roij. He put his company Dutch Homes Ltd, into liquidation with several unfinished projects.
His family had now had to go back to Holland because his wife’s mother was very ill.
Publicity had made it difficult for Van Roij to get a job, but he had now begun full time work in Auckland. He was not in a strong financial position. Pressed further about emotional harm reparations, Mr Ward said Van Roij “has essentially nothing”.
The court adjourned while Mr Ward discussed the situation with Van Roij and they returned to court to offer a reparation payment of $6000, which would need to be paid off at $50 a week in the meantime. He would make a lump sum payment if the money became available.
Mr Ward said Van Roij was willing for the police to hold his passport voluntarily if there were fears that he might leave the country without paying the reparations. “He likes New Zealand. He doesn’t want to leave,” he said.
Judge O’Driscoll said the crash had a significant effect on the victims. One had not been able to care for her daughter since the crash and months of on-going rehabilitation and surgery would be needed for her.
The accident had clearly arisen from a lapse of concentration.
Category: Focus
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