A former construction transport company boss, Ashik Ali, has been sentenced to three years in prison for manslaughter after his 20-tonne truck, long known to be dangerously non-compliant, rolled downhill and killed roadworker Johnathon Walters on Remuera Rd in May 2024.
The truck’s failed brakes, missing warrant, years of defects and ignored pink stickers highlighted what the judge called “an absolutely tragic and completely avoidable event.” Ali fled the scene instead of checking for injuries, and prosecutors argued his gross, repeated disregard for safety made imprisonment necessary to deter others operating unroadworthy vehicles.
Walters’ grieving family described him as a devoted, steady presence who held their whānau together, and said his death has shaken roadworkers nationwide.
Despite defence claims that Ali acted out of financial desperation and remorse, Justice Graham Lang found his conduct “significantly more serious” than one-off negligence, ordering both jail time and $20,000 emotional harm reparation.
Image credit: Andrew Yu
DEPORT