Brakes ‘failed’ on bus
A passenger on a bus that crashed and rolled near Tu¯ roa, killing a child, says the brakes didn’t work before the accident happened.
The Ruapehu Alpine Lifts (RAL) bus overturned at the 9-kilometre mark on O¯ hakune Mountain Rd, which runs 17km up the mountain to Tu¯ roa, just after 2.30pm on Saturday.
Fenella Murphy was on board at the time. ‘‘The bus was travelling from Tu¯ roa skifield heading back down to O¯ hakune when the brakes suddenly failed and we were speeding down the hill for at least 30 seconds to a minute before we hit the side of the bank and [the bus] flipped and rolled, ending up on its left side on the side of the road.
‘‘My girlfriend Aleisha Cope and I were the last passengers left at the scene to be taken by ambulance to O¯ hakune St John station, before being taken to Whanganui Hospital.
‘‘Luckily, we have walked away with minor injuries. However, the whole experience was very traumatic. My heart goes out to the family of the child who didn’t make it.’’
Stuff has also been told by two witnesses who arrived on the scene soon after the crash that survivors had said the brakes failed. Those on the bus had allegedly been told to brace for impact moments beforehand, and one man had leapt from the vehicle before it tipped over, they said.
When asked about the alleged brake failure, Ruapehu Alpine Lifts chief executive Ross Copland said he could not comment.
‘‘I have not had a chance to speak to the driver ... We are all going through a process.’’
An 11-year-old child died after the bus flipped, throwing passengers on to the road.
The girl died while being flown to hospital on the Taranaki Community Rescue Helicopter soon after its takeoff from the scene. That chopper was then diverted to Taumarunui.
The bus had 31 people on board and about 20 were hurt – at least four with moderate or serious injuries.
Waikato District Health Board spokeswoman Lydia Aydon said yesterday that the three people taken to Waikato Hospital were a 20-year-old man, a 29-year-old woman and a 31-year-old woman. They were all in a stable condition.
St John Ambulance spokeswoman Chrissy Hamilton said two intensive care paramedics were on board the Taranaki chopper working frantically to save the girl when she died. ‘‘They would have been doing everything in their power to save her. Sadly, this is the reality of our work.’’
Hamilton and her colleagues were pleased with how an impromptu triage centre set up at O¯ hakune had operated, and the other people injured in the crash had been treated as quickly as possible. ‘‘The local community there really rallied around us.’’
Ruapehu District Mayor Don Cameron said the young girl’s death was an immeasurable loss for her family. His thoughts were with them, and with everyone who experienced the ordeal. ‘‘We are a small community, and we are in shock.’’
The serious crash unit is now investigating the incident, along with the CIB and commercial vehicle safety team.
‘‘The whole experience was very traumatic. My heart goes out to the family of the child who didn’t make it.’’
Passenger Fenella Murphy