Huntly Victim
Pompallier College
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Pompallier College was today mourning the death of pupil
Neil Steward, 16, who was among four people killed at
level rail crossing in Huntly on Sunday night.
The other people killed in the accident were Lee Powell,
17, Brent Mathews, 20, and his brother Gene Mathews, 18,
all from Huntly. Two people were also seriously injured.
College principal Father Jim Gresham said Neil had been
visiting friends in Huntly at the time of the accident.
He had been a pupil at the Whangarei school for six weeks
at the time of the accident, having moved North with his
family. Father Gresham said a group of pupils and a
teacher would travel to Huntly for the funeral.
Neil's parents, Ian and Chris Steward, had recently taken
over ownership of the Parua Bay Tavern, Father Gresham
said.
NZ Rail said yesterday that the level crossing at which
the accident occurred was on priority list for the
installation of barrier arms before the accident.
Spokeswoman Helen Morgan-Banda said the crossing had now
been moved to near the top of the priority list as a
result of the collision. Despite this NZ Rail did not
consider the crossing unsafe as it was, she said.
Rather, the installation of barrier arms would "add
another level of safety" to the flashing lights and
warning bells already in place, she said.
Ms Morgan-Banda said about 30 crossings were on the
priority barrier arms list, which was restricted by the
company's budget each year.
Of New Zealand's 882 public level crossing 223 already
had barrier arms.
Ms Morgan-anda said people still had to remember that
barrier arms did not guarantee the safety of crossings.
The rail company received reports of people ignoring
barriers, warning bells and lights every week.
The Huntly accident inccident increased the death toll at
level crossings this year to 16, the highest toll in
five years.
BY TANIA BUISMAN and LORRAINE DOUGLASS
10 November 1993
X SLMR 2.1a X A picture is worth a 1000 words & occupies about 20k
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Lorna Kropp
College write:
PC>Pompallier College was today mourning the death of pupil Neil Steward, 16,
PC>who was among four people killed at level rail crossing in Huntly on
PC>Sunday night.
We are sorry to hear of the death of one of your fellow students. Collisions
at Railroad crossings is a serious problem al over the world. There was a
similar story from our friends in Bonners Ferry, Idaho. Those students found
that "the stopping distance for a 150-car freight train traveling 50mph
(80.5kmph) is 1 and 1/3 miles (2.1km)."
Lorna Kropp, Moderator, Global Village News
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Bob Coulter (Atrium School)
Dear Lorna,
I am sorry to hear about the death of four people. Were any of them your
friends, or was it just something you heard about. How were they killed? My
name is Josh Lubin and I live in Newton, Massachusetts. Nothing like that
happens around there. I think your article and response were very
interesting. I have always loved seeing the ambulance go zooming by to save
someone's life. So thank you for writing such waonderful articles.
From Josh Lubin, age 9.
Merv Duffy
BC(S>I am sorry to hear about the death of four people. Were any of them your
BC(S>friends, or was it just something you heard about. How were they killed? M
BC(S>name is Josh Lubin and I live in Newton, Massachusetts. Nothing like that
BC(S>happens around there. I think your article and response were very
BC(S>interesting. I have always loved seeing the ambulance go zooming by to sav
BC(S>someone's life. So thank you for writing such waonderful articles.
BC(S>From Josh Lubin, age 9.
Josh, Lorna was responding to a message from two of my students. The
four young men died when the car they were travelling in was hit by a
train on a level crossing.
The crossing had lights & bells but no barrier arm. There were two
survivors of the crash - they said that they had had their music
(Heavy Metal) playing loud in the car and they were not aware of the
train coming.
The driver (who was killed) was a student in my form class.
.\\erv
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ronniel...@gmail.com
Ronnie Matthews