Driver drank nearly 15 standard drinks before high-speed crash that killed best friend

Wednesday, 22 July 2026

A driver who downed nearly 15 standard drinks at a tavern before a high-speed crash that killed his best friend and injured another passenger has been jailed.

Aaron John Templeton, who was 19 at the time of the February 2025 crash, was sentenced in the High Court at Invercargill to two years and seven months’ imprisonment for the manslaughter of 20-year-old Jack Stephens. He was also sentenced to a concurrent one-year term for driving with excess blood alcohol causing injury to Morgan Stephens, 18.

Justice Osborne disqualified Templeton from driving for two years and six months, commencing from his release date from prison.

The court heard Templeton had consumed two stubbies of beer at home before driving the group to the Tokanui Tavern in his 1997 Toyota Hilux. While at the tavern, he drank about four large beer bottles, equating to around 14.8 standard drinks. Templeton was on a restricted driver's licence and was legally prohibited from driving with any alcohol in his system.

Templeton declined an offer from his mother to drive them home and falsely told the bar manager his mother was picking them up. CCTV footage showed him walking with a staggered gait, and in a video message sent to a friend showing a police car in the car park, he used abusive language and stated he was going to 'double back' on the constable.

After leaving the tavern around 8.20pm, Templeton drove along the Tokanui-Niagara Highway at speeds between 113kph and 127kph in a 100kph zone. As he drove, Jack filmed video footage while both yelled, 'we're running from the cops, we're running from the cops', although police were not pursuing them, the court said.

Templeton failed to follow a soft right-hand bend with a posted advisory speed of 75kph. He lost control, crossed the centre line, and the vehicle rolled into a paddock. Both Templeton and Jack were ejected from the vehicle. Jack died at the scene, while Morgan remained inside, suffering injuries.

A blood sample taken from Templeton more than six and a half hours later revealed 130 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood, the court said.

In sentencing, Justice Osborne rejected assertions that the incident was a single momentary error, stating: 'Your driving on that evening is not to be minimised as involving a single mistake or decision'.