Sharon Harris's son Floyd Harris

People are eager to know more about Who Is Sharon Harris? Floyd Harris Mom Mourns His Passing

In January 2019, Floyd Harris, a 21-year-old autistic man, tragically died in a car crash while driving himself and his colleague, Jake Ginders, to work in New Zealand.

Four years later, a coronial inquest is underway to investigate the circumstances surrounding their deaths. At the inquest, Harris’ mother, Sharon Harris, testified that her son was pressured by his employer to drive despite only holding a learner’s license.

This led to questions about the employer’s responsibility in the tragic incident. In this article, we will delve into who Sharon Harris is and her testimony at the inquest.

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Who is Floyd Harris?

Floyd Harris was a 21-year-old man who died in a car crash on January 16, 2019, in Woodville, New Zealand. When the accident occurred, he was driving himself and his colleague, 23-year-old Jake Ginders, to work in Dannevirke.

Harris was on his learner’s license at the time of the crash, and he crossed the center line while negotiating a moderate left-hand bend, colliding with a ute coming from the opposite direction. Both Harris and Ginders died instantly.

Sharon Harris accuses employer AWF of pressuring son to drive, leading to fatal car crash.
Sharon Harris accuses employer AWF of pressuring son to drive, leading to fatal car crash. (Source: Stuff)

Harris was known to have autism, making it hard to understand facial and body language cues and sarcasm. He always feared being fired or getting in trouble and had difficulty saying no.

At a coronial inquest, his mother, Sharon Harris, stated that her son had been “pressured” by his employer, AWF, to drive long distances despite knowing he didn’t have the right license. Harris had reportedly driven colleagues to work on many occasions at his manager’s request, and his mother was concerned about the legality of him doing it.

She claimed that AWF pressured her son into doing it because they knew he was in his learners and knew that with his autism, he was unlikely to say no.

Who Is Sharon Harris?

Sharon Harris is the mother of Floyd Harris, a 21-year-old autistic man who died in a car crash with a colleague on their way to work in January 2019. She has been vocal about her son’s death and accused their employer, AWF, of pressuring him into driving despite knowing he only had his learner’s license.

Sharon Harris's son Floyd Harris, 21, died in a car crash while driving to work in New Zealand.
Sharon Harris’s son Floyd Harris, 21, died in a car crash while driving to work in New Zealand. (Source: Stuff)

According to Sharon, her son feared being fired or getting in trouble and lacked the skills to say no. She believes that if AWF had not pressured her son to drive, the accident could have been prevented, and both young men would still be alive.

Sharon has testified at the coroner’s inquest into her son’s death and has urged AWF to take responsibility for their negligence.

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What was the incident?

Floyd Harris, a 21-year-old autistic man, was driving himself and his colleague, Jake Ginders, to work in Dannevirke, New Zealand, just after 6 am on January 16, 2019. Harris was driving on his learner’s license.

He crossed the center line while trying to negotiate a moderate left-hand bend near Woodville, colliding with a ute coming from the opposite direction. Both Harris and Ginders died instantly. Four years after the fatal crash, a coronial inquest was launched to investigate the circumstances surrounding their deaths.

Autistic man, Floyd Harris, died in a car crash while driving on his learner's license.
Autistic man, Floyd Harris, died in a car crash while driving on his learner’s license. (Source: Stuff)

The pair’s employer, AWF, which is New Zealand’s largest facilitator of “blue collar staff” in construction, infrastructure development, logistics, manufacturing, food processing, and waste management sectors, was under scrutiny. Harris’s family alleged that AWF managers had pressured him into driving colleagues long distances to work, despite knowing he did not hold the appropriate license.

Harris’s mother, Sharon Harris, testified at the inquest that her son was backed into a corner and did not have a choice. She said that her son lacked the skills to say no and that his autism made it hard for him to understand facial and body language cues and sarcasm.

She alleged that AWF pressured her son into doing it because they knew he would not say no.

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