Lawrence Smith/Stuff
David Lane died while cycling on the morning of September 17.
A police officer has pleaded guilty after hitting and killing a cyclist in Auckland.
David Lane was killed while cycling along Stancombe Rd in Flat Bush on September 17.
Police officer Jada Manase, 22, appeared at the Manukau District Court on Friday.
She pleaded guilty to excess breath alcohol causing death and careless driving, her lawyer Todd Simmonds said.
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Court documents seen by Stuff show Manase recorded 600mcg of breath alcohol. The legal limit in New Zealand for people over 20 is 250mcg.
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The crash occurred in Auckland’s Flat Bush on Saturday morning.
Police previously said the officer, who was off-duty at the time of the crash, had been stood down while the Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA) and police serious crash unit investigated.
Lane was earlier described as a “very experienced rider” and athlete who had competed in Ironman competitions in Hawaii.
Lane’s boss, Mark Taylor, co-founder of MEC Bikes, previously said Lane was a “lovely guy” who kept to himself.
“He was really, really friendly, a pleasure to be around.”
Taylor said Lane worked as a bike mechanic for his St Heliers store part-time for three years.
He had previously had a career as an engineer but had grown bored in retirement, Taylor said.
Raj Gajjar, who lives near where Lane was hit, spoke to Stuff through his nephew Kandarp Mistry. He found Lane after the crash, lying between a parked white van and red hatchback.
“I saw the person take a big gasp of air before he lost consciousness,” he said.
Gajjar repeatedly described the bicycle as having been “shrunk” by the crash.
“It did not look like a bicycle at all,” he said.
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