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• A police officer was deemed at fault for a U-turn crash in Upper Hutt, Wellington, injuring Eden Webster and her husband. 
• Webster criticised the response, claiming her husband was breath-tested on the scene but not the officer. 
• The officer was referred to a Te Pae Oranga panel; the outcome was deemed proportionate. 

A woman and her husband injured when a police officer did a U-turn directly ahead of them and crashed into their car are furious with the response. 

Hutt Valley area commander Inspector Wade Jennings told the Herald “the police officer was deemed to be at fault” for the Moonshine Rd incident in Upper Hutt last November. 

But victim Eden Webster was dissatisfied with the consequences the officer has faced, saying she was “tired of the system ... protecting their own”. 

Webster told the Herald she was angry police responding to the crash breath-tested her husband while he lay in the ambulance and allegedly not the officer who crashed. Police told the Herald the officer was breath-tested. 

Eden Webster and her husband's vehicle after the crash. Photo / Supplied 

“They don’t get done like we do. If it had been reversed, we all know where [husband] Chris would be,” Webster said. 

“[The] justice system is total bulls***. I’ve been quiet for long enough, and I’m done.” 

The police officer driving this car was deemed at fault for the crash. Photo / Supplied 

The crash left Webster with bruising across her body and her husband suffered a dislocated toe, leaving both of them off work for weeks. 

Jennings said the crash happened as the officer was pulling out to respond to a “priority incident” and they performed the U-turn. 

“The matter was referred to the District Driving Panel to ensure the resolution was overseen and determined appropriately,” Jennings said. 

“The police officer was referred to a Te Pae Oranga panel, with consultation with and the co-operation of the complainant, who has the opportunity to participate in the process. 

“The outcome was proportionate and in line with police charging practices.” 

Webster said she intended to be at the panel meeting but she believed it was not a serious enough consequence. 

Raphael Franks is an Auckland-based reporter who covers breaking news. He joined the Herald as a Te Rito cadet in 2022.