Loganlea man Tiata Wiremu Bruce Horn, 51, charged over M1 crash that allegedly killed newborn baby
A southeast Qld man charged with causing a crash on the M1 at the Gold Coast earlier this year has been identified in court after an almost three-month-long investigation resulted in three serious charges.
A man has been charged over a crash that killed a newborn baby and injured his mother on the Gold Coast earlier this year.
Ormeau Hills mother Divine Caneo had pulled over her silver Jeep Cherokee on the side of the M1 near the Smith St ramp at Gaven about 2.50am on September 21 to feed her one-month-old baby Jack Riordan.
The Jeep was then allegedly struck by a grey Toyota HiLux.
Baby Jack was rushed to the Gold Coast University Hospital with critical injuries but sadly died in hospital.
Ms Caneo, 24, was also taken to hospital in a serious condition.
On Thursday, police revealed the alleged driver of the Toyota had been charged over the crash.
“Following a comprehensive protracted investigation, [a] 51-year-old Loganlea man has been charged with one count each of dangerous operation of a vehicle causing death, offence of driving while a relevant drug is present in blood or saliva, and driving without due care and attention or without reasonable consideration for other persons, causing death or grievous bodily harm,” a police statement read.
On December 12, the defendant, Tiata Wiremu Bruce Horn, who sustained minor injuries in the alleged crash, according to police, had his charges briefly mentioned in Southport Magistrates Court.
Defence lawyer Danielle Egan, acting as town agent for Garde Wilson Lawyers, requested an adjournment to December 15 to allow her principals to “finalise one more matter” before progressing an expected bail application that day.
Mr Horn was remanded in custody.
Footage taken from the crash scene showed both vehicles were severely damaged and debris had been strewn across the highway.
Just days after the accident, Ms Caneo revealed her partner was sick and she had been with him in the emergency department of Gold Coast University Hospital before leaving to take care of their baby.
“After 45 minutes of waiting outside my partner told me to go home because he needed to be tested further so we went back to my car and drove off, but suddenly Jack cried out loud and I was looking for a place to stop safely to feed him because he was due for a feed,” she said.
“After I fed him I put him back in his car seat and I went to the driver seat and after that I can’t remember anything.”
Ms Caneo remembered her son as a “really amazing baby”.
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Originally published as Loganlea man Tiata Wiremu Bruce Horn, 51, charged over M1 crash that allegedly killed newborn baby
