No timeframe for crash report

The cause of a Taranaki road crash that claimed seven lives remains under investigation by police.

The June 27 two-car crash near Waverley, labelled the worst on New Zealand’s roads in 13 years, killed Jeremy Thompson, 28, his step-daughter 8-year-old Nivek Madams and his eightweek-old baby girl Shady-Jade Thompson.

Four Waverley residents, husband and wife Ian and Rosalie Porteous, 80 and 76 respectively, Ian’s sister Ora Keene, 84, and their friend Brenda Williams, 79, also died.

Thompson’s partner, and Nivek and Shady-Jade’s mother, Ani Nohinohi was the crash’s sole survivor.

She was initially listed as being in critical condition and spent time in Wellington Hospital before returning to Taranaki to receive ongoing medical care.

A Taranaki District Health Board spokeswoman confirmed Nohinohi was discharged from Ha¯wera Hospital on September 25.

Regarding the cause, a police spokeswoman confirmed the investigation by the Serious Crash Unit, which was launched the day of the incident, had yet to be completed.

The spokeswoman said there was no timeframe known regarding when it would be finished.

This was also the situation regarding the inquiry into the death of Black Power gang member Phillip Allan Taylor, who died after the BMW car he was driving hit a power pole in Vogeltown, New Plymouth on May 7.

The crash followed a short pursuit of Taylor by police officers.