Workmates mourn: We will miss your beautiful smile
Tribute to teen killed on Muriwai Beach as residents demand action
The employer of a teenager killed in a crash on Muriwai Beach has offered a tribute to the “beautiful and kind” girl five days after she died.
Madison Chamberlain, 19, died when the ute she was in flipped on Sunday.
New World New Lynn remembered her online: “Maddie worked on the checkouts in our store, she was a beautiful and kind people-person and much loved by us all.
“We’re so sad, looking after each other here and heartbroken for Maddie’s family, friends and every one of us who had the privilege to know and love her.”
Another comment from the supermarket said: “We will miss your beautiful smile and you will always be a part of our family.”
A police spokesman told the Herald inquiries in to the crash, in which the ute flipped after allegedly “hooning” along the beach, were ongoing and police had not laid any charges.
A fisherman told the Herald he saw the ute “hooning” before flipping, throwing Chamberlain from the vehicle and crushing her.
Emergency services and two rescue helicopters rushed to the scene on Auckland’s west coast about 2.30pm on Sunday.
The incident led to calls for cars to be banned on the popular Auckland beach to stop similar deaths.
Rodney local board chairman Brent Bailey told the Herald vehicles on the beach were in direct conflict with beach-goers who wanted to use it for activities like kite surfing or sunbathing.
“As a Muriwai resident and someone who supports the decision to ban [vehicles] I have sympathy for the regional park staff who have to deal with the amount of traffic and congestion and competing uses.
“The immature behaviour by a small segment of the community has already caused tragedy — and I think it’s probably avoidable.”
Resident Ed Donald said he had been pushing for years to have better policing of vehicle access to the beach.
He said the current speed limit of 60km/h on the beach was ridiculous, and it should be dropped to 10km/h, as well as having police deployed to prosecute rule breakers.
“We have been asking and asking for more policing on the beach and they just say, ‘We don’t have the resources’.”
Donald said the death was “tragic” and feared further deaths could follow if action wasn’t taken.
“How many deaths do you need?” he asked.
The father of a teenager seriously injured when his motorbike collided with a ute on Muriwai Beach also said there needed to be some kind of ban on vehicles on parts of the beach.
Phil Hanson spoke out after Chamberlain’s death, saying news of the incident had brought back harrowing memories.