Daisy's dad warned police hour before beach tragedy

THE father of Daisy Fernandez, killed by a young motorcyclist at Glinks Gully on New Year's Eve, had voiced his concerns about driver behaviour to police just an hour before the accident happened.
Daisy, aged 13, died in Whangarei Hospital after she and friend Claudia Billinge were hit by a 15-year-old boy on a motorbike at Glinks Gully, 17km southwest of Dargaville on New Year's Eve.
Daisy's father, Craig Fernandez, had told police that driving behaviour on the beach was an accident waiting to happen, said Ronnie Antonio, a close family friend.
Police had been called to the settlement on New Year's Eve over drivers doing donuts at the entranceway to the beach. Mr Fernandez was among residents who spoke to officers about the increasing disregard for safety by some drivers and motorcyclists, Mr Antonio said.
The young rider of the bike that struck the girls was not one of those spoken to by police at that time. It is thought he arrived at the beach after they had left.
While there his riding behaviour attracted attention and several beachgoers said they had warned the youth to slow down. Mr Antonio said he himself had seen the boy riding "hard out" and at full revs before the accident. The unregistered motocross bike, which had no headlight, struck the two girls sitting on the beach in the dark.
Holidaymakers said problems with driver behaviour, in particular with motorcycles on the beach, were increasing. Mr Antonio agreed, saying the number of motorcycles had doubled over the past year, and with that came an increase in dangerous, inconsiderate and noisy behaviour.
Another holidaymaker said incidents such as a quad rider doing wheel stands with a small toddler sitting on the front of the bike, neither wearing helmets, was one example.
Failing to observe the clearly marked 30km/h speed zone section of the beach at Glinks Gully was only one concern of many, which included unsupervised children being allowed to ride motorcycles and quads.
Mr Antonio, who is chairman of the Glinks Gully camp committee, said residents did not want bikes banned from the beach, only the bad behaviour. Neither were they critical of police, who he said could not be expected to patrol the area 24/7.
"Everyone needs to work together to ensure another tragedy such as this never happens again," he said. "In the past a quiet word in an ear has put the matter right, but this year there are too many (bikers) for this to work."
He said the whole community was in shock and mourning.
Dargaville police Sergeant Jonathan Tier said speed and unsafe driving practices on beaches were district-wide problems. "Common sense should prevail," he said.
"Traditionally beaches have been used as recreational playgrounds, but people need to remember all road rules apply, and that includes driving to the conditions."
The motorcyclist would be dealt with by the Youth Justice system. A family group conference would decide whether charges would be laid.
• Monday's death was the second involving a motorcycle on a Northland beach in two years.
On December 29, 2005, Luke William Newman, 18, from Taihape but formerly of Kaitaia, died after crashing his bike on Tuna Tuna Beach, south of Tauroa Point, Ahipara.