KEY POINTS:
Grieving friends of an Auckland waitress killed at an intersection in Mission Bay are furious that more was not done to fix the section of road, which claimed another life less than five years ago.
Auckland University commerce student, Yee Lei Yeung, 18, also known as Lillian, got
off a bus at around 10.40am on Tuesday and headed for her second day of training at the popular Midori Japanese Sushi Cafe.
Serious Crash Unit investigator Sergeant Matt Ford said a female driver, turning onto Patterson Ave from Tamaki Drive, hit Yee while she was crossing on a green signal.
The Hong Kong national was flipped onto the car's bonnet and landed head-first on the ground, sustaining serious head injuries. She died hours later at Auckland Hospital.
Now friends of the woman and Mission Bay business owners are demanding to know why Auckland City Council had not adopted a 'barnyard-style' crossing, where all traffic comes to a halt and pedestrians cross from all directions, just like intersections on Queen St in the CBD.
Locals say that the intersection remains a dangerous hazard, and despite some minor changes in 2003 when another person was killed, not enough has been done.
Midori owner Kuy Cha wrote to Auckland City Council two years ago about "these stupid lights". "ACC is killing people down here by not making the crossing safer," Cha said. He wanted the pedestrian crossing on Patterson Ave to be further down the road so turning traffic had enough warning to see those who were crossing on foot.
It has emerged that plans to alter the road layout in Mission Bay are under way. But the changes come too late to save Yee - or prevent the serious leg injuries suffered by another pedestrian hit there last week.
Contractors will begin work next month to convert the crossing - used by thousands each day in summer - to a system where all traffic stops as pedestrians cross from all directions.
Mission Bay community constable Todd Martin supported the new plans, and said they were "much better" than the "very poor" current design. "I'm surprised this hasn't changed sooner. Locals have had to accept it - and tourists don't know any better. (Yee) was crossing legitimately, so this didn't need to happen," Martin said.
His views were echoed by Ford of the Serious Crash Unit: "This means all traffic stops at the same time and pedestrians get the full run and then it goes back to the traffic phasing."
Hee Jong Mun, who works at Farrolls Ice Cream, said he constantly saw people injured on the crossing and he was "furious" the re-design was occurring only now.
But Auckland's Acting Mayor, Dr Bruce Hucker, defended his council, saying that a "reasonable pattern of analysis has been followed" with the "dynamic" intersection. And, despite eight incidents in the previous five years on the section of road, council had acted responsibly.
"This has been identified as one of the black-spots for accidents and that's why consultation and design has happened." Hucker said he wasn't sure if the latest tragedy could have been avoided.
Karen Hay, the council's road safety manager, said 20 studies were carried out each year to determine where work needed to be done on the region's dangerous intersections.
"We have a limited amount of resources and we need to prioritise areas with a high need. We try our best," Hay said.
"I am extremely upset, sympathetic and empathetic."
Meanwhile, police will formally interview the driver this week and charges may follow.
However, a manslaughter conviction was unlikely to be sought, according to one crash investigator. Scene analysis on Thursday revealed that the traffic lights' phasing was correct.
The Herald on Sunday understands the driver was transported to Glen Innes police station for a breath test immediately after the incident.
Match Wang, 22, Yee's boyfriend of three years, said although he understood the event was an accident he wanted the driver of the car which hit his girlfriend to take responsibility and serve a term of imprisonment.
