Bay of Plenty Times
  • Bay of Plenty Times home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Sport

Locations

  • Coromandel & Hauraki
  • Katikati
  • Tauranga
  • Mount Maunganui
  • Pāpāmoa
  • Te Puke
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Thames
  • Tauranga
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Bay of Plenty Times

Friends remember scooter crash victim

By by Rachel Thomas
Bay of Plenty Times·
7 Jul, 2011 09:27 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

There's an empty stool in the bar at Mount Maunganui RSA where Alan Kappely used to sit.
"This is his seat, just here," says Ron Curry, as he points at the spot beside him.
Mr Curry and fellow RSA member Ian Robertson knew Mr Kappely for 15 years and have a drink
in his honour.
"Is it Alan's shout?" Mr Curry asks, before raising his beer.
The pair yesterday remembered Mr Kappely, who died after a routine police traffic stop went horribly wrong in Mount Maunganui on Wednesday.
Mr Kappely, 83, was riding a scooter when he smashed into the back of a stationary police car on broken yellow lines. The officer in the patrol car had just stopped a ute on the corner of Maunganui Rd and Tweed St for speeding.
Mount Maunganui RSA manager Peter Moss said residents were still in shock after the tragic accident but were supporting one another.
"Everybody in the village has pulled in to support Joy, his wife."
Mr Kappely had a sister and brother-in-law in Tauranga, who visited the RSA village yesterday to support his widow.
Caretaker Eddie Pinkerton recalled Mr Kappely helping him in the garden, until old age stopped him.
"We used to have barbecues and he would always bring out his tapes and play his music," he told the Bay of Plenty Times.
It is understood he had a daughter in Australia.
Mr Kappely's will stated he did not want a funeral service, so a private burial is to be held next week.
The tragedy has raised the issue of motorcycle safety.
Motorcycle Safety Consultant CEO Allan Kirk believed the accident was the result of "target fixation" which is wherever a motorcyclist looks, his bike will follow.
"He fixes his eyes on something he wants to avoid, but then he goes where he fixes his eyes."
Mr Kirk said this was a common problem for motorcyclists, but they go through licensing before they can ride.
"This crash points out the problem that people can get on scooters without testing."
"There's a gap in the licensing system."
A standard car licence is all that's required to legally ride a scooter. Even a class-one learner licence allows operation of a moped of 50cc or less, with a maximum speed of 50km/h.
Mr Kirk said although scooters may look easy to ride, driving them requires different skills than a car.
"Scooter riders get no instruction but a powered two wheeler is the most difficult vehicle to drive.
"You don't normally fall off a car."
Mr Kirk said there was a boom in scooter riders since petrol prices rose.
Director of the Police Association for the region Wayne Aberhart said the officer involved in the incident would be offered counselling.
"Nothing can prepare you for that. He wouldn't have thought about it much until he got home that night," Mr Aberhart said.
"You don't go cold, you deal with it by looking to others for reassurance."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Save

    Share this article

Latest from Bay of Plenty Times

Sport

'My moment': NZ-born boxer becomes first Māori to be crowned undisputed world champ

12 Jul 03:58 AM
Bay of Plenty Times

Puchner makes history with silver at U23 canoe slalom world titles

12 Jul 03:37 AM
Bay of Plenty Times

One taken to Tauranga Hospital after SH29 crash

12 Jul 02:27 AM

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Bay of Plenty Times

'My moment': NZ-born boxer becomes first Māori to be crowned undisputed world champ

'My moment': NZ-born boxer becomes first Māori to be crowned undisputed world champ

12 Jul 03:58 AM

In her debut at Madison Square Garden, the 30-year-old produced a 'total beatdown'.

Puchner makes history with silver at U23 canoe slalom world titles

Puchner makes history with silver at U23 canoe slalom world titles

12 Jul 03:37 AM
One taken to Tauranga Hospital after SH29 crash

One taken to Tauranga Hospital after SH29 crash

12 Jul 02:27 AM
Landslide sparks evacuations, roads closed, homes flooded after storm

Landslide sparks evacuations, roads closed, homes flooded after storm

12 Jul 12:43 AM
Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Bay of Plenty Times e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Bay of Plenty Times
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP