Hawera reeling at trio's deaths in crash

The Hawera community has paid tribute to the three young people killed in an accident on the notorious Normanby overbridge early on Sunday.

Aaron Hurley, 22, Paul Donald Cowper, 21, and Rochelle Lee Meads, 22, all of Hawera, died when a car driven by an allegedly drunk driver plunged into a van they were passengers in, creating a fire so intense that it melted a section of the bridge.

Hawera High School principal Rob Hurley said teachers were devastated to hear that the three former students were dead.

"All three were just really nice kids that fitted into the school in every way. They all contributed to the school in their time here.

"What makes it very sad for everyone here is that the kids did everything right, organised a sober driver, and this happens. We are just blown away by it."

Workmates of Aaron Hurley were angry at his death.

Greaves Electrical operations manager Richard Withey said Mr Hurley, an apprentice electrician, had just passed his final exam and was looking forward to applying for his certificate of registration.

"It is a big shock. He was very well liked and he was the sort of person that everybody could get on with.

"We are very angry at what has happened, it is terrible, disastrous and it has hit everyone very hard."

Southern Rugby Club chairman Dillon O'Sullivan said Mr Hurley, a former Taranaki colts representative, was admired in the club.

"This is one of those things that didn't need to happen. Here were young adults doing the right thing, they weren't speeding, on drugs or drink, and their lives are cut short by what appears to be stupidity."

The families of the three people killed declined to comment yesterday.

Acting Inspector Shaun Keenan said the large number of families affected were still trying to come to terms with what had happened and were trying to co-ordinate funerals for the trio, who were closely linked by a large number of friends.

State Highway 3 was closed for several hours yesterday as police serious crash investigators carried out investigations on the bridge.

A long-time campaigner against the bridge, Normanby business owner Andy Beccard, voiced his anger at yet another fatality on what he considers Taranaki's worst black spot.

"For years we have been campaigning for the killer bridge to be realigned."

It was unacceptable that Transit planned to do no improvements until 2010.

"How many more people must die before Transit takes action to solve this."

Transit NZ is having the overbridge realignment design completed. Its $6.75 million construction remains only a forecast to begin between 2010 and 2013.

Transit's regional manager Errol Christiansen of Wanganui said it was possible the realignment could happen sooner than 2010 as a direct result of the deaths.

- NZPA