Kane Stephan Evans died when he crashed his car on November 23, 2019, on the Wānaka-Luggate Highway, part of State Highway 6.
The 23-year-old was almost three times over the legal blood alcohol limit and was travelling at a speed of at least 135km/h when he hurtled off the road and smashed into a tree near Wānaka Airport.
He was heading to his home more than 40km from where the pub he had been drinking at.
“Many locals in the Wānaka-Cromwell area do not live close to the nightlife and there is no public transport available,” said Coroner Alexandra Cunninghame in a report released today following an inquest into Evans’ death.
“If walking home or using a taxi is not an option, then a plan to get home safely should always be made, preferably before a night out starts.”
The coroner said Evans, an apprentice roofer, finished work on November 22 and had a beer at his home at Mount Pisa near Cromwell before driving to Wānaka to a friend’s house at about 7pm.
“The two men went to a bar, where Kane drank beer. They moved on to a second bar, where Kane had more beer,” she said.
“[The friend] told police that at this point Kane was ‘starting to be on his way’.
“At 11.30pm they moved on to a third bar, where Kane had more beer and whiskey.”
The coroner said police obtained CCTV footage from the third bar.
In the footage, Evans can be clearly seen “leaning and swaying on the bar” and was “clearly affected by alcohol”.
At 1.24am Evans had an argument with his mate.
The friend told police that Evans “stormed off” and that he was “pretty pissed and aggressive” - and not capable of driving.
Just 21 minutes later a motorist came across a vehicle on fire near the airport on SH6.
“The vehicle was up against a tree which was burning,” said Coroner Cunninghame.
“Others appeared on the scene. No one was able to approach the burning vehicle. Emergency services were called.”
The Coroner said Evans’ body was badly burned in the fire and he had to be identified using dental records.
A post-mortem examination confirmed Evans died “before there was any significant smoke or fire”.
Evans had significant injuries to his internal organs and a number of fractures.
Coroner Cunninghame said the level of alcohol in his blood was described by the pathologist who carried out the post-mortem as “significantly raised”.
“It was was 191mg/100mL. For comparison, the legal limit for a driver aged 20 or over is 50mg/mL,” she said.
Police reported to the coroner that the night of the crash the weather was good and there were no issues with the road surface.
“Kane failed to negotiate a moderate right-hand curve. The vehicle left the roadway on the left and collided with a large pine tree,” the report said.
“It sustained heavy impact damage to the left front.
“Calculations confirmed that Kane approached the curve at a speed of about 135km/h. He failed to react to the approaching curve.”
Coroner Cunninghame ruled Evans’ death was the direct result of high-energy impact injuries as a result of the crash.
“Alcohol intoxication, fatigue and excessive speed were identified as causative factors,” she said.
The coroner revealed that the last bar Evans had been drinking at had been “dealt with” after his death.
The bar was not named in her report.
“The police investigation revealed that alcohol had been served to Kane when he was intoxicated at the third bar,” she said.
“Enforcement action was commenced and the bar in question had its licence suspended for a 48-hour period.”
Given that, the coroner said there was no further action needed on her part.
“The District Licencing Agency has dealt with matters relating to Kane being served alcohol while he was intoxicated,” she said.
“I make no recommendations or comments in relation to how staff at the third bar managed Kane while he was on the premises.
“Kane’s death is another example of why it is dangerous to drink and drive.
“There have been other fatalities on the same stretch of SH6 due to this same reason.”
Coroner Cunningham extended her condolences to Evans’ family and friends.
Evans was farewelled by family at a service in Cromwell.
A death notice described him as a “much loved and cherished” son, a “dearly loved” grandson, a “fun-loving” nephew and “loved mate” of his three dogs.
