Rotorua Daily Post
  • Rotorua Daily Post home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Residential property listings
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Rural
  • Sport

Locations

  • Tauranga
  • Te Puke
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Tokoroa
  • Taupō & Tūrangi

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales

Weather

  • Rotorua
  • Tauranga
  • Whakatāne
  • Tokoroa
  • Taupō

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Rotorua Daily Post

Turangi smash: Students' parents on way to NZ

Matthew Martin
Rotorua Daily Post·
14 May, 2012 08:08 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save
    Share this article

Two of the survivors of a crash in which three Boston University students died remain in Rotorua Hospital, both in stable condition. Another passenger was airlifted to Waikato Hospital, where she remains in a critical condition

Daniela Rosanna Lekhno, 20, Roch Jauberty, 21, and Austin Brashears, 21, died after being thrown from a van which rolled on State Highway 46 near Rangipo, 10km south of Turangi.

The crash occurred while the students were travelling in convoy about 7.30am on Saturday, heading to the Tongariro Crossing.

As they approached the turn-off to the walk entrance, the driver of the second vehicle drifted into gravel on the side of the road and lost control. The driver then over-corrected and the vehicle, with eight on board, flipped several times, flinging two passengers to their deaths.

Another died inside the van.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Kathy Moldawer, 21, has been discharged from Rotorua Hospital while Alys McAlpine, 20, remains in Rotorua Hospital in a stable condition. A hospital spokeswoman said the parents of one of them had arrived in New Zealand.

Meg Theriault, 21, from Boston University but on Sydney University's student exchange programme, was airlifted to Waikato Hospital, where she remains in a critical condition.

Stephen Houseman, 20, and Emily Melton, also 20, were treated at the Taupo Hospital emergency department and later discharged. Police confirmed the driver survived but would not release any details about the driver's condition. The parents of the three students killed are on their way to New Zealand.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Bay of Plenty road policing manager Inspector Kevin Taylor said there was a dual focus for police investigating the crash.

"We will continue to do everything we can to provide information and support for those involved and their families to help them deal with the traumatic event they have been through."

Mr Taylor said the belongings of those who were in the crashed vehicle had been returned to family and friends.

"The US consul and student co-ordinators from both Boston University and Auckland University are acting as liaison with the families and we are working closely with them."

He said police were carrying out a detailed examination of the vehicle involved in the crash and were looking to talk to people who saw the crash to build a better picture of what happened.

"This investigation by the Serious Crash Unit will take several days to complete. The outcome of the investigation will then determine our next steps and form part of the evidence which will eventually be presented to the coroner."

Save
    Share this article

Latest from Rotorua Daily Post

Rotorua Daily Post

Longer jail time for man who put gun to injured hostage's head, yelling 'I’ll f****** kill him!'

17 Sep 07:00 AM
Premium
Lifestyle

The day Robert Redford landed in NZ – and preferred it to America

17 Sep 02:24 AM
Rotorua Daily Post

Snoop Dogg concert axed after NZ promoter loses name suppression over sex crime

17 Sep 12:41 AM

Sponsored

Kiwi campaign keeps on giving

07 Sep 12:00 PM
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Rotorua Daily Post

Longer jail time for man who put gun to injured hostage's head, yelling 'I’ll f****** kill him!'
Rotorua Daily Post

Longer jail time for man who put gun to injured hostage's head, yelling 'I’ll f****** kill him!'

Crown lawyers argued that Jade Raymond Mellow's sentence was 'manifestly inadequate'.

17 Sep 07:00 AM
Premium
Premium
The day Robert Redford landed in NZ – and preferred it to America
Lifestyle

The day Robert Redford landed in NZ – and preferred it to America

17 Sep 02:24 AM
Snoop Dogg concert axed after NZ promoter loses name suppression over sex crime
Rotorua Daily Post

Snoop Dogg concert axed after NZ promoter loses name suppression over sex crime

17 Sep 12:41 AM


Kiwi campaign keeps on giving
Sponsored

Kiwi campaign keeps on giving

07 Sep 12:00 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Rotorua Daily Post e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Rotorua Daily Post
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP