North Canterbury man James Henry Coakley has appeared in Christchurch court this morning relating to the Arthur's Pass bus crash in December last year.
The bus lost control and collided with a car travelling along the Otira Gorge around 11:30am on New Year's Eve. It overturned and slid into a roadside barrier, which stopped it from dropping into the ravine below.
The bus was carrying 31 Chinese tourists, 13 of them suffered serious injuries requiring hospitalisation and surgery, including fractures and internal injuries. A Swiss family-of-three travelling in the car also sustained moderate to serious injuries.
Police have alleged the brakes of the bus failed.
Coakley, an engineer from Ohoka, was given a registrars remand and is on bail until his next appearance in June.
Police say the 68-year-old was "associated with the maintenance" of the bus. He is charged with on or before December 31, 2015 injuring another person under circumstances that if death had been caused he would have been guilty of manslaughter.
The maximum sentence for injuring by unlawful act is three years' jail.
Newshub.
