A Whangārei company has been sentenced after a trailer came off its truck and hit a car behind, killing a nine-year-old girl.

File picture.
Photo: 123RF

WorkSafe said the failure by Johnston’s Direct Logistics to do basic maintenance is a warning to all businesses.

The towball and coupling of the trailer were so worn that a small bump or change of incline could dislodge it, it said.

“The trailer’s safety chain failed, disconnecting it from the truck towing it in October 2020,” said WorkSafe in a statement today.

The trailer had an expired certificate of fitness, and uneven tyre pressure, when it hit the car south of Whangārei in October 2020.

“This tragedy should serve as a warning to other businesses to keep a much closer eye on basic maintenance.

“A young girl’s life has been lost through no fault of her own, and her whānau is forever impacted,” WorkSafe area manager Danielle Henry said.

The district court fined the company $50,000 and ordered it to pay $145,000 in reparations, on the health and safety charges.

The maximum possible fine is $1.5 million.

RNZ has approached the company for comment.