A former highway patrol sergeant has been ordered to pay $60,000 to two motorcyclists who crashed into his police car when he did a U-turn.
Tony Bridgman, 58, was also disqualified from driving for two months and sentenced to 100 hours of community service when he appeared in Nelson District Court on Tuesday.
Bridgman was found guilty by a jury in March of dangerous driving causing injury after he was hit by Marty Collins and Brent Russell on State Highway 6, the upper Buller Gorge Road, while turning to chase another rider.
Bridgman, who quit the police last year, was ordered to pay $30,000 each to Mr Collins and Mr Russell, who suffered serious injuries.
Mr Collins and Mr Russell are grateful for the payout, but say it will not make up for their losses. They say Bridgman has never shown remorse over the accident.
[audio:http://www.radionz.co.nz/audio/national/ckpt/2009/05/26/highway_sergeant_to_pay_crash_victims_$60k]Listen to item on Checkpoint
