Payne Haas’ mother in horrific crash that kills 3 on Gold Coast

December 31, 2022 3:26 pm.by Staff Writer

Payne Haas NRL news

The mother of superstar Brisbane Broncos and New South Wales prop Payne Haas has been seriously injured in a car crash over night that left three people dead on the Gold Coast.

The Courier Mail has reported that Uiatu “Joan” Taufua, 46, was rescued from the wreckage of a black Mercedes at the scene of the crash on Bonogin Road in the Gold Coast hinterland Friday afternoon.

The three people in the other car involved were pronounced dead at the scene while Ms Taufua, who was the sole occupant of the Mercedes that burst into flames at the crash, was rushed to the Gold Coast University Hospital.

The three occupants of the other car, a man and two women, were trapped in a silver Mercedes. Police managed to free two people but all three died at the scene.

Emergency services were called Friday evening after 5pm on Friday when two vehicles collided, with one spinning off the road and into a power pole before bursting into flames. A witness confirmed they recognised Ms Taufua, and police have advised they are investigating reports the black Mercedes was spotted being driven dangerously in the lead up to the crash.

While the Forensic Crash Unit will investigate the circumstances of the crash, and no charges have been laid, this is not Ms Taufua’s only run in with the law.

Earlier this year, Ms Taufua pleaded guilty to serious assault offences and contravening police directives after punching and spitting at security staff of the Star Casino in May this year. Ms Taufua was sentenced to 9 months in jail, but the sentence was suspended on October 1 and just one month was served behind bars.

Ms Taufua’s history extends further back to 2019 when a court was told that Ms Taufua held a delivery driver in place so that two children could violently attack him for cutting her off in a Gold Coast McDonald’s drive-through. Ms Taufua was charged with assault occasioning bodily harm for causing the victim horrific facial injuries including a fractured cheekbone, a hole in his lip and a deviated nose.

These events have been compounded Haas’s own off field issues where he intimidated two police officers, including one female officer when he stated in a drunken rage “Why you looking at me like that? Cause you’re a woman? Cause you’re a woman and you think that I won’t touch ya?”.

Haas was involved in another incident where he was recorded fighting a team mate at the time, Albert Kelly. Haas was under a two year good behaviour bond when the incident occurred.

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