A Californian doctor who left the country after allegedly causing a head-on crash that injured a Queenstown woman can finally be named.
He had until yesterday evening to lodge an appeal of a decision by Judge Geoff Rea in April to decline his application for continued name suppression.
No appeal has been filed.
Ms Duan suffered a spinal fracture and her car was written off after the crash, which occurred about 5am as she was driving to the hotel where she works as a chef.
Although Sidhar co-operated with police at the scene and underwent a breath test, he and his wife flew to Auckland later that day.
They were stranded there for two days due to weather-related disruption to flights before returning to the United States.
At the first hearing of his case in the Queenstown District Court on March 13, he was granted interim name suppression after his lawyer said reporting by two media organisations had caused hardship to him and his family as a result of ‘‘abuse, bullying and racism’’ online.
At the third call of his case on May 8, the court was told Sidhar had dismissed his Queenstown lawyer and had declined to participate in restorative justice.
Police sought a warrant for his arrest, but Judge Catriona Doyle declined on the grounds he had been remanded without plea until June 6, and might still engage new legal counsel.
Police have indicated they will amend the charge to aggravated careless driving causing injury.
