In the second of a two-part series, Phil Pennington looks at the plight of two families battling the system to come to the truth about a double-fatal truck collision.
Two West Otago families were subjected to one of the country's longest and most fraught fatal crash investigations after a truck collision killed two people. Phil Pennington looks at what went wrong.
In May 2021, Shona Brenssell and Dale Waitokia got word that Brenssell’s husband’s name had been cleared, and he was not responsible for causing the crash as police initially indicated, when Coroner Peter Ryan found it was unfair to say Wayne had contributed to the accident. The first coroner s report concluded that Wayne’s erratic driving – and more specifically, a braking manoeuvre – caused the crash. The pair had been employed by Calder Developments. Instead, Coroner Ryan put the crash down to four factors: a loss of structural integrity in the A-frame, which caused the concrete panels to shift, along with bumps in the road, the load s high centre of mass, and one braking move, possibly when the trailer shifted.
Tapanui widows still fighting for justice, years after fatal crash stuff.co.nz - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from stuff.co.nz Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Police have acknowledged a coroner s findings a crash near Gore, eight years ago, wasn t caused by the driver
Police have acknowledged a coroner s findings a crash near Gore, eight years ago, wasn t caused by the driver 24 May 2021
Murray Brenssell and passenger Toby Waitokia died after their truck and trailer overturned on the Waikaka Valley-Tapanui Highway
Their families were dissatisfied with the original Coroner s findings and the Police investigation.
After engaging with experts here and in Australia, police asked the Solicitor General for a second hearing.
A Coroner has now found four likely causal factors - and made design and manufacture recommendations for A-frames carrying heavy and tall loads.