Coroner: how safe is Golden Mile?
THE safety of Wellington’s Golden Mile should be reviewed after a woman was killed by a bus while crossing a busy road, a coroner says.
In findings published yesterday, coroner Garry Evans found Wellington woman Venessa Ann Green died after she walked in front of a bus on June 28, 2011.
She was jogging southwards on the harbour side of Willis St, near the intersection with Bond St, at 1.10pm when she tried to cross the road in front of a Go Wellington bus, apparently without looking.
The bus driver braked and tried to avoid her. But the coroner said the driver would have had less than a second to react and was unable to avoid hitting Green at a speed of about 25kmh. Police said the driver was not at fault in any way.
In a statement to police the driver said he did not even see Green properly, but ‘‘something caught my eye’’. ‘‘It all happened so fast. I remember hearing a banging noise and seeing the lady on the ground.’’
One of the bus passengers told the coroner she saw Green briefly before collision. She had appeared to be ‘‘fixed straight ahead’’, and did not look right before crossing.
She initially survived and was taken to Wellington Hospital’s intensive care unit, but died later from traumatic brain injuries suffered in the accident.
The Golden Mile, the busy section of road stretching from Courtenay Place to Lambton Quay, has the highest rate of pedestrian-vehicle accidents in the country.
Since the Wellington City Council rerouted buses through Manners St in 2010 more than a dozen pedestrians have been hit by buses in and around the route.
The area where Green attempted to cross was crowded with objects, such as trees, signs and benches, including one sign that could have obscured her view of the approaching bus, Evans said.
After her death her family said they believed the objects crowding the street were a safety hazard, and barriers should be installed around bus lanes to prevent another death. But, during the inquest, council officials said barriers created their own risks.
Evans did not recommend barriers in his findings.
However, while the council had made safety improvements since Green’s death, he recommended an additional audit be carried out this year to ensure the safety of pedestrians, motorists and cyclists.
Council spokesman Richard MacLean said the council had already hired a consultant to perform the recommended audit, which should be completed in the next few months.
Since Green’s death the council had introduced several features to improve safety along the Golden Mile but had stopped short of barriers or banning jaywalking, he said. ‘‘I don’t think people think that is an acceptable solution.’’
Whatever measures were introduced, Wellington’s pedestrian density in the CBD, which was higher than anywhere else in New Zealand, and its narrow streets meant there would remain a bigger risk of collisions between walkers and vehicles.
‘‘There is always going to be an element of risk to crossing the road. We do as much as possible to lower that risk.’’
Wellington mayor Celia WadeBrown said her thoughts were with the Green family and the council would look at any conclusions from the audit.
‘‘We will continue to do what we can to reduce serious injuries and deaths on our roads.’’