Helpers awarded, deaths mourned
Fifty-six white crosses marked a year’s deaths on Canterbury roads on Saturday at a ceremony to recognise the efforts of people who had assisted at accident scenes.
In accepting her award in Christchurch’s Hagley Park, Amy Irons said it was humbling to receive an award for something anyone in that situation would do.
She climbed into the back of a car that had collided with a truck to try and save those inside.
While her efforts were ultimately unsuccessful, she was one of three people honoured at the 2018 Canterbury Road Trauma Awards on Saturday.
A doctor in emergency medicine, Irons attempted first aid on the two English tourists in the car, Malcolm Lawrence Brierley and his wife Margaret Anne Brierley, both aged 65.
She paid tribute to the work of those who attend motor vehicle accidents. ‘‘I’ve only been at one accident and it made me realise how hard their jobs are.’’
Also recognised were Canterbury police Sergeant Dan Harker and Canterbury District Health Board trauma nurse coordinator Mel Evans.
Harker received the road trauma prevention award. After 31 years of attending hundreds of serious crashes, he had decided more was needed to save lives on New Zealand roads. The catalyst was an accident in MidCanterbury in 2014, when a motorist failed to see a stop sign and drove into a car, killing Sally Rumble of Christchurch, 49, her daughter Ella Summerfield and Ella’s friend, Abigail Hone, both 12.
He found an emerging international trend in the use of vehicle-activated warning lights. With no off-the-shelf solution, Harker decided to produce them himself. The roadside-mounted lights detect oncoming vehicles and flash orange to alert drivers that they are approaching an intersection.
Evans received the public service award for her work to improve co-ordination of care of Canterbury trauma patients after she discovered that many were suffering from multiple problems and being looked after by several different specialist teams.
Now in its third year, the annual Road Accident Remembrance Day road trauma awards acknowledge people who work saving lives and minimising trauma, those who work to prevent more tragedy on the roads, and members of the public who have done extraordinary things to help at an accident scene.
As part of the ceremony, 56 white crosses representing all those who died on Canterbury roads from September 1, 2017 to August 31, 2018 were carried to a stage by their families and friends, or community members.