Three Italian skiers killed in N.I. car crash
PA Wellington A champion Italian ski racer, Bruno Nockler, and two of his team-mates were killed 'in a two-car crash near National Park yesterday.
The world-ranked Nockler, aged 26, won both giant slaloms in the international series at Mount Hutt last week. Also killed in the accident were Ilario Pegorari, aged 35, and Karl Pichler, aged 34.
Seven others were hurt in the collision, two seriously. Constable Allen Davy of Taumarunui said the accident caused “unbelievable" damage to both cars. Five Italian skiers in New Zealand for the International F.I.S. series were travelling in a rental vehicle. An Auckland family of five were in the other car. ■ The other two Italians are Ivano Ruzza, who is reported in a critical condition in Taumarunui Hospital, and Carlo Gerosa, who last evening was in a satisfactory condition. The driver of the other vehicle was Gregory Lewis Hoet, aged 36, of Pakuranga. It is believed that he is in a serious condition in hospital.
■ The passengers in his car were his wife, Colleen, aged 32, and their children, Clinton, aged 13, Lucas, aged six, and Ashley, aged three. The head-on crash, which happened ;in sub-zero temperatures on State highway 7 about 3km on the Turangi (northern)-side of the Chateau Tongariro turn-off, was seen by the occupants of a helicopter on a hunting trip from Masterton.
It landed nearby and took one of the seriously injured persons to hospital.
The police later called in another helicopter to ferry the injured.
The Italian ski team almost completely dominated the slalom racing in the Europa F.I.S. series at Mount Hutt last week, winning all four gold medals (two slaloms, two giant slaloms), two silver medals, and two bronze medals.
Nockler, an aggressive skier,, won both the giant slaloms on icy courses that accounted for more than half the field. Nockler was fifth in the giant slalom in the world alpine championships at Schladming, Austria, earlier this year. The rest of the Italian team is due to leave New Zealand today, but the manager and team doctor will stay to make arrangements with the Italian Embassy to fly the bodies to Italy. The Italians have become regular visitors to Mount Hutt for the international race series, and for training. The team was to have gone to Australia for further racing, but poor snow conditions there prompted the Italians to go to Turoa, near Ohakune, for training. '
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Press, 19 August 1982, Page 1
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407Three Italian skiers killed in N.I. car crash Press, 19 August 1982, Page 1
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