NZTA knew of hazards before fatal SH1 crash that killed ‘bubbly, happy’ woman

A motorist lost her life on a notorious stretch of highway that authorities knew was dangerous but had not done enough to make safe.

Kellyanne Cindal Pattinson was driving south on State Highway 1 in early 2018 when tragedy struck.

A northbound food delivery truck veered across three lanes and hit her car.

The 31-year-old had no opportunity to brake or swerve and died at the scene.

In findings released today, Coroner Alexandra Cunninghame found the NZ Transport Agency knew the stretch of road near Pareora in South Canterbury was hazardous and had not taken adequate steps to address documented concerns.

Coroner Cunninghame found the road was in poor condition and was a contributory factor in Pattinson’s death.

The crash

On January 17, 2018, Pattinson, described in the findings as social, bubbly, happy and outgoing, was driving at an undetermined speed.

There was no indication she was travelling above 100km/h, according to the findings.

About 2.30pm, the truck was travelling at 85km/h up a hill and rounded a bend before travelling 68.6m across the three lanes and colliding with her car.

The truck driver told the coroner he felt the “back of the truck go and next minute I’m heading across the road”.

He described feeling the rear of the truck “go to the left” and tried to correct it by steering right and braking, but was unable to avoid the collision.

Documented concerns

Before the crash, NZTA had heard concerns from the Pareora community about an intersection 600m from the site and had been reviewing the highway.

Two months prior, NZTA arranged for the road at the crash site to be resealed.

The contractor noted a loss of texture in the northbound left lane.

A “slippery when wet” sign was installed for the northbound lanes shortly after, but NZTA took no action to fix the state of the northbound left lane, according to the findings.

A witness to the crash described the road as “wet and greasy” at the time.

The witness said he had driven the stretch a week earlier with a driver trainer in similar weather conditions and felt the back of his truck “step out to the left”.

The driver trainer said he had driven the same stretch one or two days before the crash and experienced “fishtailing” while travelling in the northbound lane.

He told the coroner he was on a “mirror/shiny sealed patch” and that it was raining at the time.

A police crash analysis ruled out excessive speed and alcohol.

The stretch of SH1 facing south. Image / Google Maps

Both drivers tried to avoid the crash but were unable to do so, according to the findings.

Pattinson was wearing a seatbelt and the airbags deployed, but neither was enough to prevent her fatal injuries.

Both drivers held the correct licences, and both vehicles were assessed as roadworthy.

No charges were laid following the police investigation.

The coroner found no evidence that anything was mechanically wrong with the truck or that it was carrying an unsafe or unbalanced load.

The truck driver started work at 4am that day and was required to check the vehicle’s tyres, lights, brakes and load.

He did not, but told the coroner he later checked the vehicle at a petrol station when there was enough light to see clearly, finding no concerns.

The driver’s failure to follow a pre-departure checklist requirement was found not to be a causative factor.

The coroner said evidence showed the driver’s company made significant safety improvements in the years following, while there was no evidence the company had been cavalier about safety.

A trouble spot

NZTA analysis presented to the coroner showed five crashes within 250m of the crash site between 2012 and 2017.

One was serious, three were non-injury crashes and one was minor.

All were loss of control and four of the five involved northbound vehicles.

Coroner Alexandra Cunninghame has issued findings on the death of Kellyanne Cindal Pattinson. Photo / Pool

Three days after the fatal crash, the northbound left lane at the crash site was resealed, which NZTA described as a temporary measure.

Rumble strips and edge lines were installed later that year and, in 2019 and 2020, further resealing and surface treatment were carried out to address excess bitumen and improve skid resistance.

More work needed
The coroner said further improvements were needed, including a median barrier, which would reduce the chance of further deaths.

A safety improvement project to install median barriers at the crash site was scheduled for completion in February this year, but NZTA told the coroner it did not proceed because it needed to “align with government priorities”.

“Had the project proceeded, I would have been satisfied that adequate steps had been taken by NZTA to ensure public safety and to reduce the chance of further deaths occurring at the crash site,” the coroner said.

There were no plans to reinstate the project, according to the findings.

On the basis of the evidence, the coroner was satisfied NZTA was aware of the poor condition of the northbound left lane at the time of the crash.

Coroner Cunninghame found the lane was in poor condition and showed signs of “excessive tar bleed”, which had created a “flushed” surface resulting in slippery patches.

“Given the documented concerns about the road, I am not satisfied that NZTA’s earlier steps were adequate to ensure public safety.”

The coroner found no evidence of driver fault and recommended the safety improvement project proceed, including the installation of median barriers at the crash site, safety treatments at nearby intersections and supporting safety features.

She accepted that funding priorities were likely outside NZTA’s control but wanted to ensure continued focus on the need to improve safety on the stretch of road that claimed Pattinson’s life.

NZTA’s response

An NZTA spokesperson acknowledged the coroner’s view that more could have been done before the crash.

“We acknowledge the findings and recommendation of the coroner on safety issues on this section of SH 1, where this tragic fatal crash happened in 2018.”

The safety improvements project recommended by the coroner was major in size and scope, and NZTA had so far been unable to advance it due to funding availability, the spokesperson said.

The progression of the project would be subject to government prioritisation and funding availability.

“We extend our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Kellyanne, who are no doubt still dealing with the pain of their loss several years after the crash occurred.”

Al Williams is an Open Justice reporter for the New Zealand Herald, based in Christchurch. He has worked in daily and community titles in New Zealand and overseas for the last 16 years. Most recently he was editor of the Hauraki-Coromandel Post, based in Whangamatā. He was previously deputy editor of the Cook Islands News.