Parents rush from US for injured daughter
A spate of ‘‘tragic incidents’’ is testing the strength of the Turangi community as it comes to terms with Saturday’s fatal road accident that killed three international students.
The parents of a fourth student, Meg Theriault, 21, arrived at Waikato Hospital from the United States early yesterday to be with their daughter who suffered a serious head injury, a broken arm and grazing in the crash.
Todd and Deb Theriault, of Boston, described their daughter as a ‘‘fit and stubborn young woman’’ and said they would remain in Hamilton ‘‘for as long as it takes’’.
‘‘I understand there were people there who did all they could to help Meg and the others in the accident. The emergency services people and the police did an outstanding job given the nature of the accident,’’ they said.
Those emergency services included an ambulance officer who attended after a vicious attack of a 5-year-old girl at a camping ground late last year and a ‘‘serious assault’’ of a man, who later died of his injuries, at Tokaanu.
‘‘There has been a lot to deal with in the area,’’ said St John Taupo operations team manager Graeme Harvey.
‘‘Any scene, whether it be large or small, that involves fatalities obviously does touch you,’’ Mr Harvey said.
‘‘Unfortunately this one took the lives of three young people – it was the type of job that gives you the lump in the back of the throat – we are affected by all sides of it,’’ he said.
Mr Harvey praised the efforts of all emergency services who ‘‘worked incredibly well’’.
Taupo Youthtown rescue pilot and base manager Nat Every said flying into the scene of Saturday’s crash was an eyeopener.
‘‘It’s probably one of the most devastating accidents you can turn up to, but then no accident is nice,’’ he said. ‘‘To have these young people injured and killed . . . it’s about as bad as it gets.’’
The Boston Globe reported yesterday that Stephen Houseman, a junior who was driving the vehicle, hit a patch of gravel on the left, according to Kevin Martin, the co-ordinator of the studyabroad programme in Auckland, where the Boston University students were based.
Mr Martin said Houseman swerved right – too far right – to correct his course. ‘‘He swerved left, then right again, trying to avoid an embankment.’’
The paper described Houseman as a sensible young man who had driven students on previous trips.
Bay of Plenty road policing manager Inspector Kevin Taylor said police would be back at the scene continuing their investigations today – which would take several days to complete.