'No-one to blame' for death

Both police and the Department of Labour concluded no-one was responsible for the death of a young volunteer who fell off the back of a ute at Levels Raceway.

Officers from both organisations were giving evidence yesterday at the coroner's inquest into the death of 15-year-old Timaru boy Mathew James Walker. He died in Timaru Hospital on February 2 last year, two days after falling from the back of the ute. Mathew was helping to tidy up at the end of the day, after timekeeping at the events being run by the South Canterbury Car Club.

Constable and qualified crash investigator Bruce Sorenson told regional coroner Richard McElrea that Mathew and two other boys had taken the flat-deck ute to pick up a picnic table. The driver had driven into barrier tape which caught on a wing mirror. Mathew had been standing on the deck holding on, but witnesses then reported seeing him winding up the tape using both hands.

At the same time the driver moved on to the grass verge, making way for an oncoming vehicle on the narrow pit lane road. As the ute moved on to the grass, Mathew fell off, landing on his head on the road.

A St John crew, just leaving the raceway, were stopped and were quickly at the scene.

Even though the driver had only a restricted licence, Mr Sorenson said the boy was not breaking the law, as the raceway was not a public road. He did not consider charges needed to be laid over Mathew's death.

In a statement read to the court, the passenger in the oncoming vehicle, a registered nurse, spoke of seeing the ute lurch as it went from the seal to the grass. She ran to Mathew and found him unconscious, his eyes flickering. He was having a seizure; his breathing was shallow. With the help of others she put him in the recovery position.

She was concerned about the treatment Mathew received from St John personnel, mentioning the wrong equipment being brought to the paramedic from the ambulance, and of how she took over "bagging" Mathew to help him breathe as a St John member was doing it incorrectly.

St John had actually supplied more staff, and more highly qualified staff than their contract with the car club required that day, district operations manager Brian Fancourt said. The crew had been released for the day by a car club official when called back to assist Mathew.

Timaru Hospital had been advised Mathew's condition was status two – "a critical problem with immediate threat to life" – meaning additional staff were on hand to receive him.

Car club operations supervisor Howard Atwill said the club had followed Motor Sport New Zealand's protocols for dealing with a serious/fatal incident. The Department of Labour was contacted on Saturday. The police were not contacted till the next day, when it was realised how serious Mathew's condition was.

Mr Atwill said motor racing relied on volunteers, and there were safety plans for every race day which addressed the safety of competitors, spectators and officials. Safety briefings were held each morning and young volunteers learnt from those who had assisted the club for years.

At the time, the club did not have a policy relating to the licence status of those using its vehicles at the raceway, but has since adopted a Department of Labour recommendation making it compulsory for those using its vehicles to have a full licence.

Other recommendations from the department referred to the speedometer of the vehicle being repaired so it recorded accurately and supervision being necessary to ensure young volunteers riding on flat-deck vehicles were holding on and visible to the driver.

The club did not consider that recommendation always practical, as abiding by it could possibly lead to more serious safety issues in some situations.

Mr McElrea adjourned the hearing and will give a written decision.

- © Fairfax NZ News