Chikira Nelson fronts court over culpable driving causing death

A speeding, boozed-up Melbourne woman who crashed her ute, killing her mate while both were returning from a visit to a friend’s grave sentenced in court.

Crash victim Ainslee Haenga’s friend Chikira Nelson has been sentenced to eight years’ imprisonment for culpable driving causing death.

The mother of a Melbourne woman who was killed in a crash caused by her speeding and boozed-up friend has described the eight-year jail sentence the culprit received as “fair”.

Chikira Nelson, 37 appeared via a prison link for her sentencing in the County Court on Friday after pleading guilty in August to a charge of culpable driving causing the death of mother-of-one Ainslee Haenga.

Nelson, 37, of Burnside, sobbed as Judge Andrew Palmer handed down the sentence.

Ms Haenga was the front seat passenger in a ute being driven by Nelson along Westwood Dr in Ravenhall on the evening of March 9, 2023 when the latter lost control of the vehicle which rolled multiple times and struck poles and a boulder.

Speeding and boozed-up driver Chikira Nelson has gone to jail for crashing her ute and killing her friend Ainslee Haenga.

Ms Haenga was not wearing a seatbelt and was thrown from the vehicle, dying at the scene. Both were returning from a visit to Ms Haenga’s friend’s grave.

Nelson, who was doing between 124km/h and 132km/h in a temporary 40km/h zone and was over the limit, spent two weeks in hospital.

Speaking after the sentence, Ms Haenga’s mother Francine White acknowledged everyone who worked towards bringing the case to a closure.

“It’s a fair sentence. Unfortunately there are no winners here. My daughter is not coming home and Chikira is going through a hard time,” Ms White said.

“Her sentencing brings closure to my family in some ways. I don’t think we can have full closure given the way I lost my daughter. The longevity of the court process took its toll on everyone.”

Ms White lives in Sydney and will travel to Melbourne over the weekend to put up a headstone at her daughter’s grave in Altona.

Ainslee Haenga's mother Francine White with sons Kaelym White, left and Hireri Moetu will put up a headstone at her grave in Altona this weekend.

She said the family would gather on Sunday — the day Ms Haenga would have turned 28.

Judge Palmer said the aggravating features of Nelson’s offending were that she was highly intoxicated, was driving at more than three times the speed limit and was driving erratically for 5km prior to the crash.

A paramedic and mechanic were among motorists who observed Nelson’s fast and erratic driving minutes before the crash.

Firefighters had to extricate Nelson from the ute.

Nelson must serve a minimum of four years and 10 months before being eligible for parole.