Post by corsair67 on Aug 30, 2006 11:16:44 GMT 12
The Army needs to seriously review the way they train their drivers: there have been too many accidents involving the Unimogs in the past few years.
And the fact that they only had one first aid kit to the five vehicles is absolutely ridiculous!
From 'stuff.co.nz'.
Driver absolved in Unimog probe
30 August 2006
By PAUL GORMAN and MIKE STEERE.
Driver error has been ruled out as the cause of the crash of an Army Unimog on Banks Peninsula that killed two soldiers two years ago.
Christchurch Coroner Richard McElrea has rejected the earlier findings of a New Zealand Defence Force court of inquiry that said driver error, specifically driver inattention, resulted in the accident on August 11, 2004.
Privates Sean Dougherty, 29, and Daniel Kairua, 22, were killed when the seven-tonne Unimog that Dougherty was driving plunged 120m off the side of the unsealed Bossu Road in snowy conditions.
In his report, the coroner said his findings "differed substantially" from the inquiry.
"In particular, this court does not attribute the cause of the accident to the driver of the Unimog and, based on evidence, rejects any suggestion of driver inattention."
Instead, McElrea said it was likely Dougherty was "giving close attention to driving the vehicle" in difficult conditions on the winding, snow-covered road.
The inquest was held in July and October last year, at which Christchurch lawyer Kate Dougherty, representing her family, was determined to clear her brother of any blame.
She could not be reached for comment last night.
Dougherty and Kairua's Unimog was second in a convoy of five on a training exercise.
The driver of the first truck, Private Robert Pokaihau-Rogers , was apprehensive about driving on the section of road, unlike driving instructor Staff Sergeant Tamaterangi Andrew, who was accompanying him, the coroner said.
Andrew had an obligation to ensure the leading vehicle was in a safe position on the road and there was no suggestion of fault on the part of Pokaihau-Rogers.
"The light covering of snow deceived both him and the driver that the roadway was wider than it actually was and the vehicle was positioned further from the left-hand edge of the road than it was."
An option available to Andrew was to require Pokaihau-Rogers to pull over and check the state of the road.
"The softness in the surface of the road shoulder at this point was crucial to the outcome, as was the position of the vehicle. If the vehicle had been further to the right, in the traffic lanes (obscured by the light snow cover), the fatalities would not have happened," McElrea said.
Dougherty had been following the path of the Unimog in front as the army had taught him to do.
The coroner said in his report he understood that the army in choosing challenging terrain for driver training was accepting the associated risks.
However, the incident highlighted several deficiencies in the planning and carrying out of the exercise.
Andrew had not taken into account weather forecasts and conditions were worse than expected.
Only one of the five vehicles had a medical kit, there was no formal means of communication to emergency services by radio or cellphone, with the call being made on a personal cellphone, and there was an absence of blankets and warm clothing.
There was also no way of communicating with the leading vehicle, the occupants of which were unaware of the emergency.
That was "potentially crucial" to the outcome for Dougherty, who needed urgent assistance that others might have been able to provide, the coroner said.
McElrea recommended that:
The Christchurch City Council (CCC) place appropriate warning signs and markers on Bossu Road and similar unsealed high-altitude roads,
The CCC and the roading contractor review road inspection procedures at the outer edge of roads.
The Defence Force review the issue of weather forecasts, emergency planning, communications, and vehicle kits.
The Defence Force include snow training as part of its class 2 driver training where feasible.
And the fact that they only had one first aid kit to the five vehicles is absolutely ridiculous!
From 'stuff.co.nz'.
Driver absolved in Unimog probe
30 August 2006
By PAUL GORMAN and MIKE STEERE.
Driver error has been ruled out as the cause of the crash of an Army Unimog on Banks Peninsula that killed two soldiers two years ago.
Christchurch Coroner Richard McElrea has rejected the earlier findings of a New Zealand Defence Force court of inquiry that said driver error, specifically driver inattention, resulted in the accident on August 11, 2004.
Privates Sean Dougherty, 29, and Daniel Kairua, 22, were killed when the seven-tonne Unimog that Dougherty was driving plunged 120m off the side of the unsealed Bossu Road in snowy conditions.
In his report, the coroner said his findings "differed substantially" from the inquiry.
"In particular, this court does not attribute the cause of the accident to the driver of the Unimog and, based on evidence, rejects any suggestion of driver inattention."
Instead, McElrea said it was likely Dougherty was "giving close attention to driving the vehicle" in difficult conditions on the winding, snow-covered road.
The inquest was held in July and October last year, at which Christchurch lawyer Kate Dougherty, representing her family, was determined to clear her brother of any blame.
She could not be reached for comment last night.
Dougherty and Kairua's Unimog was second in a convoy of five on a training exercise.
The driver of the first truck, Private Robert Pokaihau-Rogers , was apprehensive about driving on the section of road, unlike driving instructor Staff Sergeant Tamaterangi Andrew, who was accompanying him, the coroner said.
Andrew had an obligation to ensure the leading vehicle was in a safe position on the road and there was no suggestion of fault on the part of Pokaihau-Rogers.
"The light covering of snow deceived both him and the driver that the roadway was wider than it actually was and the vehicle was positioned further from the left-hand edge of the road than it was."
An option available to Andrew was to require Pokaihau-Rogers to pull over and check the state of the road.
"The softness in the surface of the road shoulder at this point was crucial to the outcome, as was the position of the vehicle. If the vehicle had been further to the right, in the traffic lanes (obscured by the light snow cover), the fatalities would not have happened," McElrea said.
Dougherty had been following the path of the Unimog in front as the army had taught him to do.
The coroner said in his report he understood that the army in choosing challenging terrain for driver training was accepting the associated risks.
However, the incident highlighted several deficiencies in the planning and carrying out of the exercise.
Andrew had not taken into account weather forecasts and conditions were worse than expected.
Only one of the five vehicles had a medical kit, there was no formal means of communication to emergency services by radio or cellphone, with the call being made on a personal cellphone, and there was an absence of blankets and warm clothing.
There was also no way of communicating with the leading vehicle, the occupants of which were unaware of the emergency.
That was "potentially crucial" to the outcome for Dougherty, who needed urgent assistance that others might have been able to provide, the coroner said.
McElrea recommended that:
The Christchurch City Council (CCC) place appropriate warning signs and markers on Bossu Road and similar unsealed high-altitude roads,
The CCC and the roading contractor review road inspection procedures at the outer edge of roads.
The Defence Force review the issue of weather forecasts, emergency planning, communications, and vehicle kits.
The Defence Force include snow training as part of its class 2 driver training where feasible.
