Mount Maunganui train death: Widower of woman killed by train 13 years ago calls for safety improvements

A warning sign at the Hewlett’s Rd railway crossing. Photo / Alex Cairns

The widower of a woman killed after being struck by a train in Mount Maunganui 13 years ago believes the tragic death of 11-year-old Jorja-Ray Smith at a nearby crossing this week was an “unnecessary” loss of life.

Jorja-Ray died after being struck by a freight train at the Hewletts Rd level crossing while biking home from Mount Maunganui Intermediate School on Monday at about 2.55pm. Police have referred her death to the coroner.

Her death has prompted community concern about the safety of the intersection, including in a change.org petition calling on KiwiRail to either make rail crossings along Maunganui Rd safer for pedestrians and cyclists, or move the tracks.

KiwiRail says it will conduct a full investigation of the incident and work with the local council and Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency to look at “possible improvements” to the pedestrian crossing.

Allan Goodhall’s wife, Kumiko Goodhall, died in 2010 after being hit by a train while crossing the railway lines at Matapihi on her bike. The mother-of-two had been training to ride the Otago Central Rail Trail.

The Matapihi rail crossing is about 2km from the Hewletts Rd crossing where Jorja-Ray died.

On Friday, Goodhall told the Bay of Plenty Times he had been feeling “quite agitated” since hearing of the “further tragic loss of life” on Monday.

Goodhall, a former Mount Maunganui College international manager, said he believed a yellow “look for trains” sign was “completely inadequate” at rail crossings.

He said there were barriers for vehicles at the crossing where the schoolgirl died, but none for pedestrians and cyclists.

Goodhall said he believed it was a “terrible” and “unnecessary” loss of life.

In his view, the “minimum” safety improvement should be installing “some kind of gate” at the railway crossing.

Goodhall said the crossing where his wife was killed had been relocated “further down Matapihi Rd and realigned”.

In 2011, the Bay of Plenty Times reported a coronial inquest into Kumiko Goodhall’s death was told she had paused on the track and appeared unaware of the train until its horn sounded, but it was too late. She may have been wearing earphones and having trouble with her bike.

An online petition started this week called for the Mount Maunganui community to band together and demand KiwiRail build a “high suitable unscalable wall” along Maunganui Rd with “proper safety crossings” for pedestrians and cyclists at Hewletts and Hull roads to prevent further loss of life.

A map showing Mount Maunganui Intermediate and where the tragedy happened.

The petition, started by “A Kiwi Mum”, also requested KiwiRail refrain from running trains in the half-hour directly before and after school times and for Waka Kotahi to make the stretch of Maunganui Rd a heavy truck-free zone.

The petition said: “The recent tragic death of one of our local tamariki should never have happened and whilst we devastatingly cannot bring them back, we can make a change with them in mind. Let’s stand together and demand change for our community and tamariki.”

More than 150 people had signed it as of yesterday afternoon.

Mount Maunganui Intermediate School principal Melissa Nelson said the school would support any changes to improve safety for pedestrians and cyclists.

“Our school is situated among main roads with huge volumes of traffic, busy intersections and, of course, the train tracks.

“Our children are experiencing a significant period of change during adolescence. They are often impulsive and risk management is not always their forte.”

Police at the scene of the incident on Hewletts Rd in Mount Maunganui on Monday. Photo / Alex Cairns

Dozens of people have taken to social media to pay tribute to Jorja-Ray on the Bay of Plenty Times’ Facebook page.

One comment said, “As a mother of a 10- and 13-year-old, my heart just breaks. Tragedy in the worst way, just a heartbreaking accident.”

Another said she was “flabbergasted” to learn there were no safety barriers for pedestrians and cyclists at the crossing, and improvements were needed.

Mount Maunganui Ratepayers, Residents and Retailers Association president Michael O’Neill said he was “absolutely supportive” of any measure to create greater safety.

In his view: “That’s an extremely busy intersection that does demand some sort of improvement.”

He said Monday’s fatality was “a repeat” of Kumiko Goodhall’s death in 2010.

Tauranga MP Sam Uffindell said he felt for the young girl’s family after the “absolute tragedy”.

“I have thought that crossing seemed unsafe and support efforts to make it safer. It’s a busy road and we don’t want another tragic loss of life.”

Rail and Maritime Transport Union general secretary Todd Valster said a “decent risk assessment” needed to take place to find what improvements could be made.

“While the Mount might have been quiet 30 or 40 years ago, it’s a lot busier now with the public and the trains.”

He said fencing large areas could run into difficulties if there were neighbouring land owners.

“But around enhancing the protection to the public, approaching pedestrian level crossings in particular in this instance is something that KiwiRail should be sitting down and taking very seriously and I’m sure they are.”

Valster referred to an incident in Wellington where a 15-year-old was killed on his way to school and a “gate system” was put in.

“So when the train comes, the gates close and you actually can’t go past there.”

KiwiRail chief operations officer Siva Sivapakkiam said there would be a full investigation of the incident and it would be working with Waka Kotahi and Tauranga City Council to look at “possible improvements” to the pedestrian crossing.

Sivapakkiam said the adjacent road crossing had warning lights, bells and barrier arms, all of which were operating at the time of the incident.

“We understand that events like this are deeply traumatic for all those involved, and our thoughts continue to be with the family and all those affected.”

Waka Kotahi maintenance and operations regional manager Rob Campbell said it was saddened to learn of the tragedy and was awaiting the outcome of the police investigation.

“We will consider the outcomes of current investigation and look for opportunities to work with Tauranga City Council and KiwiRail to make improvements in the future.”

Megan Wilson is a health and general news reporter for the Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post. She has been a journalist since 2021.