A Whakatāne man has been sentenced to 11 months of home detention after driving a concrete truck over an elderly woman in a supermarket car park in December 2024. Kyle Archer, 27, pleaded guilty to careless driving causing the death of 83-year-old Patricia McEldowney.
The incident occurred on December 19, 2024, at the Countdown supermarket car park on McAlister Street. McEldowney was walking with her walking frame when Archer, driving a concrete truck, failed to see her and ran her over. She died at the scene.
In the Whakatāne District Court on July 17, 2026, Judge Louis Bidois sentenced Archer to 11 months of home detention, disqualified him from driving for 18 months, and ordered him to pay $5000 in emotional harm reparation to the victim's family. The judge noted Archer's genuine remorse and the tragic nature of the accident.
