Bike crash kills three

Press, 17 January 1986, Page 1

Bike crash kills three

Three Christchurch youths were killed in a spectacular motor-cycle accident on Lakewood Drive, Burwood, early last evening. They were Kim Williams, aged 19, of 380 Gloucester Street, Linwood; Robert Tuatau, aged 20, of 27 Royal Park Drive, Parklands: and Christopher Shane Martin, aged 19; of 31 Perth Street, Richmond. All three were on one motor-cycle. Only one is thought to have been wear-

ing a crash helmet. They were travelling south on Lakewood Drive just before 6.30 p.m. The motor-cycle left the road, hit the side of a small bridge, flew 10 metres across the stream, struck the opposite bank and came to rest beside a fence. The trio were thrown a further 20 metres. All were • killed instantly. Residents from nearby houses rushed outside when they heard the accident, but could do little more than drape blankets over the bodies.

The motor-cycle came to rest outside the home of Mr Mai Grant, of 3 Idaho Place. Only one helmet was recovered. It had crashed through wooden palings of his fence.

He said marks on the road indicated that the rider had rounded a bend too fast, and had been unable to regain control with two pillion passengers.

Lakewood Drive residents have been complaining for years about the design of the road, which they say is dangerous.

Mr Grant’s front fence was demolished by a car the day after he erected it in November, 1984. Mr Willie Newman who lives over the road from Mr Grant, said he and his neighbours were becoming used to accidents.

Yesterday’s triple fatality was the fourth accident near his house in the last four months. Three of the accidents were “ambulance cases.” Six months after Mr Newman moved into the house in 1983, a motor-cyclist

crashed into the stream.

. In each of the accidents, the rider or driver of a vehicle has lost control rounding one of two deceptive bends in the road. Mr Newman said the road was designed as a cul-de-sac, but had become a busy through road. It was too narrow to carry a large volume of traffic.

“If you go through at 60km/h you will squeal your tyres.” The road has got such a bad name that one of his neighbours does not even let his children play on the footpatti.

Mr Newman said the Waimairi District Council had been warned of the danger, but did not seem concerned.

The council’s Styx riding member, Mr Arthur Adcock, said last evening that the road was designed to become a cul-de-sac when the eastern expressway is constructed.

It was unlikely that anything would happen to the road until the expressway was finished.