Payne Haas’s mum looks to avoid trial over triple fatal car crash

Broncos star Payne Haas’s mum, who is accused of killing three people in a horrific Gold Coast hinterland crash, has made a shock move in bid to resolve the matter, a court has heard.

Uiatu "Joan" Taufua, mother of Brisbane Broncos star Payne Haas, was charged with manslaughter over the crash in which three people died.

The mother of a star Broncos player accused of killing three people in a horrific Gold Coast hinterland crash will seek to resolve the matter without the need for a trial, a court has heard.

The Crown presented an indictment of three counts of manslaughter against Uiatu “Joan” Taufua in Brisbane’s Supreme Court on Tuesday.

Taufua pictured in 2023. Source: 9 News

Taufua allegedly fled from a police patrol car on December 30, 2022, before ploughing into an oncoming vehicle just minutes later carrying Steffi Zimmer, her mother Susan Zimmer and her mother’s former partner Chris Fawcett.

All three died at the scene in Bonogin. Taufua was the crash’s only survivor.

Taufua is the mother of Brisbane Broncos star Payne Haas and rising Gold Coast Titans player Klese. There is no suggestion either of the Haas brothers had any involvement in the collision.

Her barrister Martin Longhurst on Tuesday said the matter was unlikely to proceed to trial but he would be making “some pretty important” submissions to prosecutors.

Chris Fawcett died in the crash.

Steffanie and Susan Zimmer also died.

Mr Longhurst said he was organising for Taufua to see a psychologist and a psychiatrist from Sydney and asked for an adjournment for that to occur.

“The process, if everything goes well, we will have those (medical) reports, they will inform our submission to the Crown which would potentially bring the matter to a resolution without a trial,” he said.

The matter was adjourned to April 22 with Taufua, who was not required to appear in court, remanded in custody.