Crash claims one-time adviser to Muldoon
A diplomat of ‘‘many talents’’ and a true conservationist in every sense was killed in a head-on collision on State Highway 1 near Sanson.
Wellington’s Kenneth Piddington, 80, was on the way to his Ohakune ecohouse when the crash happened on Friday afternoon.
Another man was injured in the crash outside Sanson, near Palmerston North. It happened about 900 metres from the major SH1 and SH3 intersection.
A police spokeswoman said the crash investigation was in its early stages but it appeared Mr Piddington crossed the centre line.
The other driver had minor to moderate injuries and was now in a stable condition, she said.
Mr Piddington’s friend of 57 years, former public service head of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, David McDowell, said he was still in shock after enjoying dinner and the French Cabaret with Mr Piddington on Thursday night.
In 1959 the pair worked together in foreign affairs and shared a great passion for international issues and conservation.
Mr Piddington went on to work overseas on trade and economic policy before returning to Wellington where he became the first director of the New Zealand Planning Council in 1977.
From 1980 to 1986 he was Commissioner for the Environment and then headed the Department of Conservation for its first two years before being shoulder-tapped to work for the World Bank in 1988.
Mr McDowell said his friend was the ‘‘gutsiest conservationist’’ he knew and a real inspiration to his colleagues.
‘‘He was a very courageous man tasked with giving advice to people like Robert Muldoon and when lots of Muldoon’s staff and his own party were
Crash victim:
Photo: SUPPLIED
scared stiff of him, Ken would stand up and give his opinion exactly how it was.’’
In one word Mr McDowell described him as ‘‘wise’’.
In more recent years Mr Piddington was made a senior associate at Victoria University at the Institute of Governance and Policy Studies, which is directed by Professor Jonathan Boston.
Prof Boston said he got to know Mr Piddington at the university in the seven years before his retirement in 2012.
He spoke of a well-travelled and well- read, capable man who had a distinguished career while remaining ‘‘kind and generous’’.
‘‘Ken was extremely concerned about the state of the world’s environment and he put a lot of time in to issues to try and make the world a bit of a better place to live.’’
Mr Piddington is survived by his two sons and daughter and four grandchildren.
Meanwhile the man who died in a crash near Dannevirke on Saturday afternoon was Daniel Troy Leslie, 31, of Waipukurau.
He died at the scene after the car he was a passenger in struck a power pole.
Police suspect both speed and alcohol were factors and the driver is likely to face charges.
A police patrol pursuing the car had lost sight of it when it crashed after being clocked leaving Dannevirke doing 124kmh in a 50km zone.