Wrong-way crash: 'A needless loss of life' Karen Yin Yong,

[NZBC]

A woman whose vehicle was hit head-on by another travelling the wrong way on Auckland's southern motorway on Friday morning has died.

Karen Yin Yong, 49, of Mount Wellington, died at Auckland Hospital surrounded by family after her life support was switched off.

Ms Yong's car was hit by another vehicle travelling the wrong way on the southern motorway about 12.40am on Friday.

The crash happened after a vehicle entered the Mt Wellington off-ramp and headed south on the wrong side of the motorway.

The female driver drove for 5km, swerving past a number of vehicles, before crashing into a northbound vehicle at East Tamaki.

Both drivers were critically injured.

Senior Constable Karl Bevin of the Waitemata Serious Crash Unit said on Friday that was believed that alcohol was a factor in the crash.

Today he said: "It's a tough pill for the family to swallow and this was a needless loss of life".

The crash was still being investigated.
Wrong-way crash: 'A needless loss of life'
3:58 PM Sunday Jun 1, 2014

- APNZ

[NZBC]

Wrong-way driving deadly
5:00 AM Monday Jun 2, 2014


Innocent driver’s family rush from Kuala Lumpur to be at bedside as she dies.


An innocent motorist who died after a wrong-way motorway crash was a keen dancer who participated overseas.

Karen Yin Mei Yong's family, who rushed from Kuala Lumpur after the crash, were at her hospital bedside when life support was turned off on Saturday night.

The 49-year-old from Mt Wellington was struck head-on by a 31-year-old female driver speeding the wrong way down the Southern Motorway in Auckland about 12.40am on Friday.

Police are still trying to talk to the woman, who is seriously injured in hospital. The Herald can reveal that up to 20 cars narrowly avoided the driver as she drove for about 5km south in the northbound lane from the Mount Wellington off-ramp, before colliding with Ms Yong in the fast lane near the East Tamaki interchange. She ignored or failed to see "numerous signs advising drivers: 'wrong way, go back'," Senior Constable Karl Bevin said.

Police received a number of calls from motorists and were en route to try to stop the wrong-way driver when the crash happened.

Ms Yong suffered extensive head-to-toe injuries in the smash and died in Auckland Hospital, he said. "Her next of kin made emergency plans to travel from Kuala Lumpur to be at the victim's bedside prior to life support being turned off. It's a tough pill for the family to swallow and this was a needless loss of life.

"The family are very close-knit, very quietly spoken. They're obviously very upset at the loss of their family member in New Zealand. It's a terrible time in their lives."

Alcohol was believed to be a factor in the crash and police had taken a blood sample from the driver, he said.

"We're waiting for her to recover in hospital ... we're hoping to speak to her soon. She has serious injuries herself."

Ms Yong was part of the east and south Auckland branch of Ceroc dancing.

This year she won first place in the over-45 category of the Auckland Ceroc Championships with dance partner Derek McEwan.

Close friend Peter Felhofer said Ms Yong's mother and sister were finalising funeral arrangements.

- NZ Herald

[NZBC]

YIN MEI Karen Yin Mei YONG


Yong, Karen Yin Mei 19 May 1965 - 31 May 2014. In loving memory. God took your hand and made us part, he closed your eyes and broke our hearts, God has you in his keeping, we have you in our hearts. May the winds of love blow softly and whisper for you to hear, that we will always love you and forever keep you near. Requiem Mass will be celebrated at St Mark Catholic Church, 344 Pakuranga Road, today, Wednesday 4 June at 11am followed by private cremation. All communications to the Yong family C/- PO Box 56013, Dominion Road, Mt Eden, Auckland 1446.

Published in The New Zealand Herald on June 4, 2014
- See more at: notices.nzherald.co.nz/obituaries/nzherald-nz/obituary.aspx?n=yin-mei-karen-yin-mei-yong&pid=171215326#sthash.AjexORLn.dpuf

[NZBC]

Sam Boyer
Sam Boyer is a police reporter for the NZ Herald.
Pregnant drunk driver jailed for killing dancer
5:00 AM Tuesday Nov 18, 2014

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Tian was sentenced to two years and nine months. Photo / Dean Purcell Tian was sentenced to two years and nine months. Photo / Dean Purcell

A drink-driver who sped at 134 km/h the wrong way on the motorway before killing an innocent motorist will go to prison pregnant and in a wheelchair.

As she heads to jail - five months after her 5km-long journey - the driver can now be revealed as 32-year-old Ying Tian, of Clendon Park.

Tian entered court in a wheelchair having suffered multiple leg fractures in the crash she caused, killing Karen Yong, 49.

She was later wheeled out into Corrections custody to begin her sentence of two years and nine months, having learned her fate through a Chinese interpreter.

Soon after 12.30am on May 30 Tian - who had more than double the legal blood alcohol limit - entered the Southern Motorway at the Mt Wellington off-ramp and drove 5km in the wrong direction, weaving in and out of oncoming traffic.

Ms Yong's mother, Marina Lee, told the court before sentencing: "Nobody can fathom the grief of a mother when her daughter is wrenched away from her.

"This grossly negligent driver needs to be punished, not just for the needless loss of my child, but to caution all other drivers to think through their actions."

Judge Sharon McAuslan described's Tian driving as "totally appalling" as she handed down her sentence at Manukau District Court yesterday.


Tian's apology letter to Karen Yong's family did little to soothe their anger at the "unnecessary" loss of their loved one.

Discounting various factors, including the fact Tian had recently married and was now pregnant, she said home detention was not an option.

It was revealed Tian's speed fluctuated between 28 km/h and 134 km/h, as she swerved across lanes and between vehicles.

It was thought about 20 cars managed to dodge her oncoming vehicle - including seven that had to take evasive action - before she struck Ms Yong. The competitive ceroc dancer suffered critical injuries and was placed on life support to allow her family in Kuala Lumpur time to reach her bedside before she died.

Last night, Ms Lee and Ms Yong's sister, Sharon Yong, who returned to New Zealand from Malaysia to see the drunk driver in court, spoke to the Herald at Karen Yong's Mt Wellington home.

They said they wished Tian's sentence had been harsher, to reflect the pain inflicted on them by her "irresponsible, mindless, negligent" actions.

"I felt she should have got a stiffer sentence," Sharon Yong said.

"It needs to be a strong enough message to the public."

An apology letter given to the family did little to soothe their anger at the "unnecessary" loss of their loved one.

"It was written as a means of lowering her sentence, that's how it felt to us."

Sharon Yong added: "It didn't seem sincere at all."

The family planned to take a few mementoes from Karen Yong's home with them, but they couldn't face boxing up her Kiwi life, they said.

"We'll take back her dancing medals," her mother said. www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11360091