Ashburton Courier: July 11, 2024

4 Ashburton
NEWS
Courier, July 11, 2024
www.ashburtoncourier.co.nz
Black ice on road causes crash
SUSAN.SANDYS
@ashburtoncourier.co.nz
ADorie woman feels lucky she
received only minor injuries
after acar crash on Monday.
The driver, who didnot want
to be named, was heading south
on Rules Rd, Pendarves, about
9.15am, on her way to work at
Vetlife, when her car hit ice,
spun around and slid off the
road. It went through afence,
flipped once over.
After the car landed with the
passenger side on the ground,
the woman was suspended in
the air, held by her seatbelt.
She heard her iPhone use its
Crash Detection facility to
phone 111 and inform of her
GPS co­ordinates. She said she
could not see her phone, but
thought it was outside the car.
‘‘It was avery lucky
circumstance,’’ the woman told
The Ashburton Courier on
Tuesday as she recoveredfrom
concussion, whiplash,
scratches, bruises and asore
shoulder.
She said she had only been
going about 60 to 70kmh on the
100kmh open road.
When the car started sliding,
she had taken her foot off the
accelerator. ‘‘But there was so
much ice, it just couldn’t
correct, it just kept going.’’
Pendarves Volunteer Fire
Brigade chief PaulStewart said
an ambulanceofficer was
talking to the driver as
firefightershelped her get out.
‘‘We pulled the windscreen
back and then she walked out.’’
The accident was areminder
to drive to the conditions.
‘‘It didn’tlook like awhite
TheVetlife work vehicle flipped
and rolled.
hard frost, perhaps afrost that
came down alittle bit later and
caught people out abit,’’
Stewart said.
Vetlife hub manager Tina
Smith was grateful her employee
was okay. She said she had put
out amessage to fellow staff
throughout Mid Canterburyafter
the crash to drive to the
conditions.
The driver’s partner said he
had arrived at the scene when
she was in the ambulance, before
it took her to Ashburton Hospital.
While at the scene, he saw the
grit truck turn up to grit the road.
It had not been gritted at the time
of the crash, despite the area of
road where the crash occurred
being well known for being shady
and icy. He believed the system
of gritting icy roads in the district
needed to be investigated.
District council group manager
infrastructure and open spaces
Neil McCann said there were
about 67 roads throughout Mid
Canterburylisted for grit
application.
There were three tiers of
priority which determined the
order of gritting, which
contractorsstarted about 4.30am.
Rules Rd was third tier due to
low elevation and low traffic
volume. ‘‘That said, there may be
scenarios where grit comes off
the road or vehicles drive on the
road before we apply the grit,’’
McCann said.
Tinwald School road safetyfears
BYJONATHAN LEASK
Local democracy reporter
AMidCanterbury school near a
busy road is hoping fears over
vehicle speeds will be
addressed later this year.
Tinwald School's board of
trustees raised safety concerns
about the stretch of Graham St
bordering the school,
particularlybetween Thomson
St and Harland St, with the
district council earlier this year.
Board presiding member
Chris Hill said there had been a
significant increase in the
volume of traffic on the road.
‘‘And as aresult, has caused a
heightened level of anxiety and
safety concerns,” Hilltold
district councillors at the time.
An “informal review” by the
school had estimated a
conservative figure of between
90­160 cars travelling along
Graham St during school pickup
and drop­offtimes.
District council data showed
the average speed on Graham St
was 47kph, and more than 2000
vehicles daily.
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❛There has been
positive
communication with
the council and
hopefully we get to a
resolution toimprove
the safety of our
children.❜
2686941
—Chris Hill
The district council had
introduced permanent 30kph
urban school speed zones in
July lastyear, butinFebruary
determined the speed limits
would become time­restricted
as soon as the government
amended rules governing the
setting of speed laws.
The Minister of Transport’s
redrafted rule is out for public
consultation and is scheduled to
be changed by the end of the
year.
Tinwald School wants
GrahamStadded to its existing
30kph zone, and the district
council’s road safety coordinating
committee has
recommended it be included
when thetime restrictions are
introduced.
Hill told Local Democracy
Reporting at the end of term 2
last month he was pleased to see
the concerns were being
addressed by the district
council.
“There has been positive
communication with the council
and hopefully we get to a
resolution to improve the safety
Goldberg grateful for new scooter
SUSAN.SANDYS
@ashburtoncourier.co.nz
Anthony ‘‘Goldberg’’ Bartlett says he
has done more than enough walking
this year.
With aheart condition and
breathing issues,the 48­year­old
sicknessbeneficiary can not walk
long distances. But he was finding
himself sometimeshaving to push his
broken­down six­year­old mobility
scooter home.
Now he has anew scooter, and
could not be happier.
‘‘I feel happy now,’’ Goldberg said.
‘‘I had enough walking, I’m not fitto
walk around too long.’’
He has been wanting anew scooter
since the beginning of the year, but
needed help accessing his
KiwiSaver.
Goldberg was grateful to CCS
Disability Action Ashburton, which
helped him do this. He was also
grateful for a$400 donation towards
the overall costofabout $5600.
CCSDA service co­ordinator Moira
Youngquestsaid she had applied to
the Ashburton Benevolent Trust on
Goldberg’s behalf for the $400.
‘‘The trust was very quick to agree
to cover the shortfall,’’ Youngquest
said.
She said earlier this year, as
Tinwald School pupils keep an
eye out at the Graham St
pedestrian crossing,astretch of
road the school hopes will be
added to 30kph school speed
zones later this year.
PHOTO JONATHAN LEASK/LDR
of ourchildren.”
Roading manager Mark
Chamberlain previously stated
Graham St was not initially
included when the district
council introduced the speed
reduction, because there was no
access to the school off the
street.
The logical solution would be
consideration of avariable
speed limit when the district
council revisited speed zones
following the law changes,
Chamberlain said.
Tinwald School’s concerns
also included the crossing
points on Graham St, suggesting
relocating the pedestrian
crossing.
LDR is local body journalism cofunded
by RNZ and NZ On Air.
NEW WHEELS: Ashiny scooter is just what the doctor ordered for Goldberg.
Goldberg spoke to The Ashburton
Courier about his need for anew
scooter, that disabled in Ashburton
could find it financially difficult to
afford new scooters,aswell as
batteriesand repairs.
The Ministry of Social
Development could help with the cost
of batteries and repairs in the form of
aloan.
In addition Lottery Individuals
with Disabilities provides grants to a
maximum of $4000 plus GST.
‘‘It is not uncommon to have to
apply anumber of times without
success,’’ Youngquest said.