Cliff Curtis Pleads Guilty After Auckland Drink-Driving Crash Injured Taxi Driver

Actor Cliff Curtis pleaded guilty on 29 October to charges arising from a drink-driving crash in central Auckland that seriously injured a taxi driver. The 58-year-old appeared by audiovisual link in Auckland District Court, where lawyer Samuel Moore entered the pleas on his behalf. Charging documents recorded a blood-alcohol reading of 122mg per 100ml of blood. The crash happened on 23 September at the intersection of Jellicoe Street and Halsey Street in Wynyard Quarter. Curtis’s Tesla struck a parked Toyota Prius taxi at about 10:30pm, and emergency crews had to cut the other driver from his vehicle. The taxi driver, Gagan Deep Singh, previously described suffering eight broken ribs, a broken collarbone, a lower hip fracture and hand injuries. His doctor prescribed two months of bed rest. In a statement distributed on 14 October, Curtis apologized and said: “My thoughts are with the injured taxi driver and his family.” Judge Tiffany Cooper granted a restorative-justice referral and transferred the case to Rotorua, where Curtis lives. He remained on bail, with sentencing set for February 2027. Moore asked for a date before Christmas, saying earlier sentencing could allow financial support for the injured driver sooner, but an earlier date was not immediately available.