Instant of inattention, then a fatal tragedy
A moment of inattention may have cost four lives and dramatically changed three others after the Queen’s Birthday long weekend began horrifically on our roads.
The four people who died had been travelling in a van when they crashed into a heavily laden truck outside the South Island town of Ashburton yesterday.
A fifth person from the van was last night battling for life and a sixth was rushed to hospital in a serious condition.
The truck driver suffered moderate injuries and was treated in hospital.
Crash witnesses described hearing a terrible bang and holding the hands of survivors through the damaged van’s windows.
“This is an absolute tragedy,” said the police area commander, Inspector David Gaskin.
He blamed “a moment of inattention” for the accident.
It appeared the van had gone through an intersection just as a truck was passing, he said.
Those inside the van were understood to be a group of adults who had travelled from the North Island.
Gaskin called it a terrible start to the Queen’s Birthday long weekend.
He urged people to be careful, take their time “and remember tomorrow the sun will come up and make sure you get there to see it”.
The only local involved was the truck driver, yet any death on local roads was one too many, Gaskin said, “and crashes like these are also devastating for our staff and our local communities”.
“Our thoughts and prayers go out to the people and families. It’s a tragedy for the district.”
Police were called to the the intersection of Cochranes and Wakanui Rds in Elgin, near Ashburton, at 9.30am. Serious
crash investigators also attended.
“I wouldn’t like to pre-empt the decision or what happens in an investigation,” Gaskin said.
“But it appears it happened at a crossroad where one vehicle has travelled through a controlled intersection and, unfortunately at that particular time, a fully laden heavy truck was coming.”
One woman told media she held the hands of two survivors after hearing a loud bang.
“I just went to the van, and I could see that there were a few deceased. All I did was stand there with my arms in the window to comfort the other two that were talking until the emergency services got there.”
Ashburton mayor Neil Brown was devastated a tragic crash had occurred days after severe flooding struck Mid Canterbury. He said it was a sad way to end the week and the community’s thoughts were with the families.
Earlier yesterday, a motorcyclist died at a busy Christchurch intersection.
Emergency services were called to Riccarton Rd and Hansons Lane just before 7am. A car had also been involved. The serious crash unit was investigating.