Grandson of Waverley crash victim always remembered the corner where she died

Thursday, 28 June 2018

Driving the fatal stretch of SH3 north of Waverley

The grandson of one of the seven people to killed in a horror crash on Wednesday says he always remembered the corner where his grandmother died.

'It seemed to have a sharper angle than most,' Hayden Mischefski said on Thursday.

Mischefski, the grandson of crash victim Ora Keene, had driven from Carterton to support his family who he said had lost a mother, a grandmother and a great grandmother.

Hayden Mischefski, the grandson of Waverley victim Ora Keene, said the corner where his grandmother died had a sharper angle than most.

He stopped at the crash site, by Waverley Race Course, on Thursday to try to fathom how seven people died on a blue sky Taranaki morning.

'Just to get a sense of it. It's surreal,' he said.

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It is still not known what caused the two-car crash that claimed the lives of Waverley residents Ian Porteous, 80, Rosalie Porteous, 76, Ora Keene, 84, and Brenda Williams, 79, as well as 8-year-old Nivek Madams, her eight week old sister Shady Thompson and Shady's father Jeremy Thompson, 28. Ani Nohinohi, Nivek's mother, remains in critical condition in Wellington Hospital.

Mischefski said he visited the crash site on Thursday 'just to get a sense of it.'

Mischefski doesn't know where the car of four Waverley people was going when they lost their lives on the corner.

He described his grandmother as kind and homely. 'She was really cool'

He used to come to his grandparents' farm every school break to help with shearing and hay making.

The road is well cambered and is sign posted for traffic to slow to 85kmh.

Ora would keep the kids in line: 'take your hands out of your pockets, sit up straight. All the courtesies that grandparents passed on.'

His grandfather died of cancer about four years ago. He hadn't seen his grandmother in a while, but had introduced her to his six year old son - one of three great grandchildren.

'I came here to try to understand,' he said.

The corner of road on which a crash claimed seven lives has been described as 'tricky' by another Waverley resident.

Waverley resident Stu Buckland said those who know the road can drive it faster than 85kmh.

Stu Buckland said the corner of SH3 north of the South Taranaki town was well known as one to take care on.

'You got to make sure you keep to the left because that corner drags you over if you don't know it well,' he said.

'I make sure I keep to the left. If I don't you can easily end up on the wrong side.'

Buckland said he measured rainfall every day at Waverley and there had been five millimetres of rain overnight Tuesday and a heavy frost on Wednesday morning.

The stretch of road where a crash caused the deaths of seven people seems unremarkable.

However Pātea fire brigade chief fire officer Grant Hurley was one of the first on the scene at the crash and said the stretch of road was not particularly dangerous and conditions had been perfect.

Buckland said he was not surprised by the crash at the site, which claimed the lives of three of his friends, but said he could not remember a fatal crash at the site before Wednesday's tragedy.

There is limited forward visibility on the road, which is double yellow lined to prevent cars passing.

Depending on which way you are driving, the crash site is at the beginning or the end of a long S bend.

The surface is in good condition, well cambered and the road before and after the s bend is straight.

The crash corner is sign posted for 85kmh but Buckland said most drivers who knew the road could travel around the bend faster than that.

There are wide grass berms on either side where the crash occurred.

One side of the road is bordered by a wire fenced paddock and the other runs along side a railway line.

Despite heavy frosts throughout Taranaki on Wednesday that precipitated warnings from police to take care on roads, by the time of the crash conditions were reported to be clear.

Crash debris is still visible at the site, as are spray paint marks showing the point of impact and where the two vehicles came to rest.

Harry Wilson, NZTA director of safety and environment, said they on Wednesday they were 'deeply saddened' by the fatal crash.

'The Serious Crash Unit is investigating and we will receive their report once completed,' he said.

'As is the case with all fatal crashes on the state highway system, we will also carry out our own review of the road and roadsides, from a safe system perspective.'

The New Zealand Transport Agency is currently seeking community feedback on how to improve SH3 from Hawera to New Plymouth and SH3A to Waitara.

This does not include the stretch of road on which the deadly crash occurred.