One mistake shouldn’t be fatal
April is never an easy month for Ann Leach.
The days leading up to April 5 are the hardest – the date Ann’s husband, Mike Leach, 67, was struck and killed while cycling through a roundabout on Hamilton’s Te Rapa Rd.
Grief came and settled but, four years on, Ann can draw purpose from talking about the tragedy.
A city-wide conversation about how best to keep cyclists safe on our roads is long overdue.
‘‘As a family, it was probably the hardest thing we’ve ever had to deal with in our lives,’’ Ann says.
‘‘We’re also a family that very much believes in social justice and, so for us, it’s . . . being huge advocates of how to create change in terms of our roading network, in terms of educating all people that use the road.’’
The driver of the truck that struck Mike eventually pleaded guilty to a charge of careless driving causing death and was sentenced to three months’ community detention and 180 hours of community work. He was also disqualified from driving for 12 months and ordered to pay emotional harm reparation.
A coroner’s hearing into the crash is due to be held this year.
Ann says she and her two adult children were adamant they didn’t want the driver jailed.
She met the driver as part of a restorative justice process and says the experience helped her understand the toll the crash had taken on him.
‘‘It was an error in judgment. It was an error, and you’ve got to see it like that. But a mistake shouldn’t cost another person their life.’’
After Mike’s death, changes were made to the Te Rapa Rd roundabout, with a cycle lane, which previously went right up to the roundabout, now directing cyclists onto the footpath.
Ann and Mike’s son Matt has also ridden most of the city’s cycleway network, noting areas where it can be made safer. Many of his trips are made on his Dad’s red bike which escaped the crash almost unmarked.
But Ann says improving Hamilton’s roading infrastructure is only part of the solution to keep cyclists safe. Driver behaviour also needs to change.
Ultimately it’s about creating a safe environment for all road users.
‘‘To change behaviour, you have to change attitudes. To change attitudes, you’ve got to educate.
‘‘And unless you educate in meaningful ways for all people, then I can’t see that creating an infrastructure that’s safe for all modes of transport is going to be successful.’’
Ann says her husband was a confident, experienced rider, who always wore ‘‘extraordinarily bright’’ colours when riding.
A retired teacher, Mike taught at Hamilton’s Fairfield College for 34 years and was passionate about teaching road safety to students.
He was also a talented builder and woodworker who handcrafted numerous sailboats and canoes. Cuts of timber still sit in the family’s garage, ready for Mike’s next project.
‘‘As a family we had lots of plans and dreams,’’ Ann says.
‘‘That’s one of the hardest things, learning to dream again.’’
‘‘It was an error in judgment . . . and you’ve got to see it like that’’ Ann Leach