Payne Haas’s mother Uiatu ‘Joan’ Taufua sued by crash victim’s family

Broncos star Payne Haas’s mother has been hit with two lawsuits from the family of one of three people killed in a horror crash.

Uiatu "Joan" Taufua (centre) at a court appearance

Brisbane Broncos star Payne Haas’s mother has been hit with two lawsuits from the family of one of three people killed in a horror crash over which she has been criminally charged.

Uiatu “Joan” Taufua is facing charges of manslaughter, dangerous driving, drink-driving, unlicensed driving and evading police over the December 2022 crash at Bonogin in the Gold Coast hinterland which wiped out almost an entire family.

The tragedy claimed the lives of Steffi Zimmer, 35, her mother Susan, 70, and Susan’s partner, retired GP and skin cancer doctor Chris Fawcett, 79.

Police have alleged that Taufua was fleeing police when her vehicle ploughed into an oncoming car carrying the Zimmers and Dr Fawcett. All three died at the scene, while Taufua was the only survivor.

A committal hearing for Taufua, who has been behind bars on remand since the crash, has been set down for November after lengthy delays in the case, including more than a dozen adjournments.

Chris Fawcett

Now two of Mr Fawcett’s five children have lodged personal injury claims against Taufua and insurer AAI in the Supreme Court.

The claims, by Linda and Joanna Fawcett, were filed earlier this month. Details of the claims are under wraps at this stage due to new court rules restricting previously publicly available records.

Social media profiles reveal the adult Fawcett siblings both live in Western Australia where Dr Fawcett was also from. His children told of their heartbreak in a touching Facebook tribute to him before his ashes were scattered in the ocean at Bunker Bay off the WA coast in January last year.

They said he was meant to visit his three daughters and grandchildren in WA, just weeks after the crash.

“We wish we’d had a chance to see you to say goodbye and feel cheated as your visit was so near,” his children wrote.

“We are deeply saddened that we just missed this opportunity to spend time with him and will never be able to see him again.

Chris Fawcett and family

“We feel grateful for the recent phone conversations and for Susie teaching Dad how to finally use text messaging, which enabled us much more contact over the last year.

“He played chess online with his youngest grandchildren and unfortunately the latest game remains unfinished.

“We dearly hope that Dad is at peace and finding comfort with his daughter Edyn, who gained her angel wings as a child, and his partner Susie.”

The lawsuits are the latest blow for the Haas family after Payne’s father, Gregor Haas, was arrested in the Philippines over an alleged ice smuggling plot in Indonesia linked to Mexico’s infamous Sinaloa drug cartel.

Mr Haas, 47, has been in prison in Manila since his arrest in May after Indonesian police alleged he was linked to the importation of 5kg of methamphetamine in a shipment of tiles from Mexico.

Indonesia last month pledged not to execute Haas in a bid to have him extradited there to face drug trafficking charges. He is facing other unrelated charges in the Philippines.