by Linny Folau

27 January 2022: An intoxicated driver, Siuta Taufa (25), who was speeding to get home before the midnight curfew, was found guilty of dangerous driving causing the death of his passenger in an accident on Taufa‘ahau Road, in July 2021.

He awaits sentencing.

Hon. Mr Justice Niu found the accused guilty on two counts of dangerous driving causing the death of Uikilifi Lapu‘aho (20) and possession of 0.08 grams of methamphetamine, in his verdict last month, at the Nuku’alofa Supreme Court.

He said about 11:30pm on the night of 3 July 2021, the accused, who had been drinking alcohol and taking methamphetamine drove his car, with Uikilifi sitting in the left front passenger seat.

They were driving from Vaini to Tatakamotonga, where Uikilifi bought a bottle of liquor which they mixed and which they were drinking from while they were returning to Vaini. 

The judge said it was close to midnight and the accused drove very fast to try and get home before the lock-down curfew at 12 midnight.

When they got to the fork in Taufa'ahau Road and Tuku'aho Road, at the end of the village of Malapo towards Vaini, the accused lost control of the car and the car swerved to the right side of the road and hit a power pole with its left side. The car bounced off the post and rested about two meters from the post, he said.

A prison warden at Hu’atolitoli prison heard the sound of the crash across the road. He went over and found both occupants of the car unconscious, and he called the police at Vaini.

Both the accused and his passenger were taken to Vaiola Hospital arriving there at 42 minutes, after midnight.

However, Uikilifi died around one hour 18 minutes, after his arrival at the hospital.

The doctor confirmed that the cause of death was severe internal head injury, and the fracturing of 10 ribs on his left chest, which punctured his left lung causing blood and air to fill up his left chest and the left side of his neck, where his left clavicle was also fractured, among other injuries.

His injuries were caused by the high velocity of the vehicle in which the patient was was travelling, said the doctor.

Police found in the boot of the accused’s car, a black plastic bag wrapped in fabric, and inside they found $1776 in cash, 47 empty packs and a bottle in withe two packs of methamphetamine.

“I am satisfied, on the evidence given and produced by the witnesses for the Crown, in this case, that the accused drove at a speed and in a manner which in the circumstances was dangerous.”

The judge said he did not believe the evidence of the accused.

The accused was convicted and will be sentenced on a date to be set, after a mitigation hearing on February 8.