'How the hell could that happen?': Kaumātua Sir Toby Curtis pushing for answers after Matatā deaths

Triple fatality on State Highway 2, Pikowai. Photo / File

Rotorua kaumātua Sir Toby Curtis is demanding a thorough investigation into the deaths of three Te Arawa men at their Matatā worksite this week.

Higgins road workers Haki Hiha, David Eparaima and Dudley Soul Raroa died in a four-truck crash on Tuesday, between 1.30pm and 1.50pm, on State Highway 2.

Two of their colleagues were also injured and have since been discharged from hospital.

Triple fatality on State Highway 2, Pikowai. Photo / File

Sir Toby told the Rotorua Daily Post is was a "calamity" three people were killed.

"It goes beyond tears. We need to ensure this doesn't happen again in the future."

"How the hell could that happen?"

Te Arawa kaumatua Sir Toby Curtis. Photo / File

Sir Toby was travelling to the tangi last night, after meetings in Wellington.

He said he would push for a thorough investigation and would be speaking to the police.

"This cannot just be brushed off as an accident."

Te Arawa kaumatua Sir Toby Curtis. Photo / File

A police spokeswoman said the Serious Crash Unit's determination "will be made in due course".

"These investigations can take some time, often months."

Triple fatality on State Highway 2, Pikowai. Photo / File

WorkSafe is also investigating.

Its process involves identifying breaches of law, understanding the causes and lessons learned, and deciding whether to prosecute.

Three of the trucks in Tuesday's crash were stationary and "engaged in road maintenance".

One truck, Budget-branded, was travelling east towards Matatā, and the driver was not injured.

The Higgins team were clearing a culvert alongside the highway, for the NZ Transport Agency, which has a Zero Harm policy, established in 2014.

The policy's objective states: "By 2020 or sooner all our people, regardless of employer will go home safe and healthy, every day, no exceptions."

Civil Contractors New Zealand represents 400 contractors, mainly involved in road transport and water infrastructure.

Civil Contractors New Zealand chief executive Peter Silcock. Photo / File

Yesterday, chief executive Peter Silcock told the Rotorua Daily Post road workers faced "very significant risk and the industry puts a lot of effort into managing that."

"It is a really big issue with people in the firing line."

David Eparaima. Photo / Supplied

Soul Raroa. Photo / Supplied

Haki Hiha. Photo / Supplied

He called on vehicle drivers to pay attention, respect the speed limits, and follow directions from crews.

"On a daily basis our members, contractors, observe people not obeying the speed limit at sites, and inattention. Drivers caught out texting. Those two things are major factors in the risk, most accidents occur as a result of them."

He said vehicles did not have to be going at speed to cause serious damage.

"You can be going 50km/h and cause a fatality. A lot of people, almost daily, are logging near misses, even knocked cones. That means you're too close, there is someone working behind that cone."

He said the industry had been working closely with the NZTA to keep road workers safe.

Higgins office on Te Ngae Road, Rotorua. Photo / Stephen Parker

"We do need to see more enforcement at sites though. In some countries, the normal fine for a traffic offence is doubled when it is at a road works site. We would like to see that here, and more speed cameras at these sites."

Transport Agency figures show in three years to October 2011, there were 183 reported near misses involving people driving dangerously beside motorway work sites.

During the same time, there were 17 reported incidents of workers put at risk by people driving into active work sites, and nine incidents involving strikes into the protective cushions on vehicles used to alert drivers of work sites.

The Transport Agency could not provide updated figures yesterday.