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 Rugby League 
Tuesday, January 03 2023
Charges laid against mum of star Broncos forward after horror Gold Coast triple-fatal crash

The mother of a star Brisbane Broncos player has been charged with manslaughter over a horror crash that killed three people in the Gold Coast hinterland.

Uiatu “Joan” Taufua, the mother of Broncos forward Payne Haas, was the sole survivor of a two-car collision in Bonogin on December 30 that resulted in a silver Mercedes being knocked from the road into a power pole.

Three people died at the scene.

Detective Senior Sergeant Mark Procter on Monday confirmed Ms Taufua, 46, had been charged with three counts of manslaughter

She has also been charged with one count each of dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, evading police and driving without a licence.

He told reporters police would be alleging the car she was driving was driven in an “extremely dangerous manner” on the wrong side of the road at high speeds.

“We’re still painting the picture with CCTV … we’ve got a lot of footage,” senior sergeant Procter said.

Senior sergeant Procter said Ms Taufua was still in hospital but was due to be released soon.

But he was tight-lipped when asked for more details about the head-on collision.

Police allege Ms Taufua was seen driving a black 2017 Mercedes wagon “dangerously” along Bonogin Rd near Calanthe Lane just before 5pm on December 30.

She allegedly fled the scene when officers activated their warning lights and attempted to intercept the vehicle.

No pursuit was undertaken.

Shortly afterwards, officers were flagged down by a motorist who informed them of the crash involving the black Mercedes wagon and another silver Mercedes hatchback about a kilometre down the road.

Two women and a man in the silver Mercedes, were entrapped but freed by emergency services.

Despite the efforts of police, paramedics and the passing motorists who provided initial assistance, the trio died at the scene.

Ms Taufua was pulled from the black Mercedes, which caught fire.

She was taken to Gold Coast University Hospital in a stable condition with an arm injury.

 

Posted by: AT 03:09 am   |  Permalink   |  Email
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