Taiwan women admits charge of careless driving in New Zealand

WELLINGTON - A woman from China's Taiwan appeared in a New Zealand court Tuesday, admitted charges of careless driving causing the death of her father, and injury of her mother last month.

Chia-Fang Chu, 39, of Kaoshiung city, Taiwan, appeared in the Christchurch District Court today. Chu was driving to Christchurch Airport from Lake Tekapo with her parents at the end of their holiday on Feb 18. They were on their way to board their flight home at Christchurch Airport.

She was following the guidance of a GPS when she drove up to an intersection near Rakaia. She stopped at the railway line, but did not stop again at the stop sign just past the railway line. She drove into the side of a four-wheel drive vehicle coming from the right.

Chu's father died of impact injuries at the scene. Her mother remains in hospital, who received rib injuries, a pneumothorax, laceration to the liver, and a fractured scapular.

Chu's two children, her cousin and her child were all in the vehicle. They were on holiday to relax because of depression following Chu's partner's death in a motorcycle crash.