At the northern edge of the Auckland park, adjacent to Beaumont St, there is a building used to service the Victoria Park tunnel known as the Northern Egress Structure (NES).
The building is approximately 3.85m high, Coroner Tetitaha detailed in her findings, released today.
While one side of the NES building contained a stainless-steel fenced wall, the other had a steep concrete skate ramp attached to it.
CCTV footage has shown adults and children using the stainless-steel fenced wall to climb up onto the roof of the NES, the findings revealed.
And on the day of his fatal accident, Sangsirichat also did exactly that.
After climbing onto the rooftop, he intended to "drop in" onto the skate ramp but initially stood there for a while.
Soon enough, a crowd gathered at the bottom to watch him, and while most were telling him "to do it" a few others, including his partner, were telling him not to.
Sangsirichat made the move and dropped off the edge of the roof towards the ramp.
"Partway down the skateboard went out from underneath him and continued down the ramp," the findings detailed.
"Mr Sangsirichat fell backwards at the bottom of the ramp smacking the back of his head on the ground. There was a loud cracking noise as he hit the concrete. He lay unmoving on the ground."
Members of the public rushed over and moved him into the recovery position and his partner called emergency services.
Sangsirichat was taken to Auckland City Hospital where he was admitted. Unfortunately, his condition did not improve and two days later, on January 29, 2018, he died.
His cause of death was due to head injuries suffered in the fall, Coroner Tetitaha found.
Sangsirichat had not been wearing a helmet at the time of the accident, though there is no requirement under New Zealand law for skaters to wear helmets.
Following inquiries made, Coroner Tetitaha said several concerns regarding his death had arisen, including the lack of any legal requirement for safety equipment to be used by skateboarders, and the skate ramp attached to the NES building.
She said Auckland City Council, which owns the skate ramp, did not have a specific design standard for skate parks.
"If there had been a design standard regarding the placement of skateboard ramps alongside buildings including ensuring they were not climbable, this death may not have occurred."
The NES building, owned by New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA), was not designed for skaters to access the roof and drop off onto the skate ramp, the findings said.
Sangsirichat's family had raised concerns about near misses or other serious injury accidents at the skate park.
The Auckland City Council said it was not aware of any other such events occurring at the skate park between 2011, when it opened, and prior to Sangsirichat's death.
At the design stage, the council sought advice from Isthmus group, which has designed a number of other skate parks, and an advisory group made up of a small number of local skate park users about the suitability of the ramp at the base of the building.
Council was advised by Isthmus and the group that given the height of the egress structure, combined with the angle and shape of the ramp, it was virtually impossible for people to jump onto the ramp, on a skateboard from the top of the building.
Subcontractors carry out an inspection of the park's play equipment every month and an annual full assessment of its facilities, including the skate park, is undertaken, the council said.
Since Sangsirichat's death, the council has installed a razor ribbon around the top perimeter of the structure and erected signs warning people not to climb it.
In addition, a security guard is stationed at the park from 7am to 10pm to dissuade people from attempting to climb the structure.
NZTA and the council have also installed an anti-climb roll bar above the ramp.
In her findings, Coroner Tetitaha said Sangsirichat may not have died if he had been wearing a helmet.
In her findings, she gave consideration as to whether there should be a law change that would require skateboarders to wear helmets.
The Ministry of Transport, which has previously considered mandating helmets for skateboarders when riding on the road, submitted that any changes to the transport rules need to be underpinned by evidence that such a change is beneficial and justifiable.
It referred to evidence from 2000 to 2009 where there were three fatal collisions, 39 serious injuries, and 95 minor injuries involving a skateboarder and a motor vehicle.
At that time, it was determined due to the costs and implementation challenges, mandating skateboarders to wear a helmet on the road was not an appropriate response to the risk.
But Coroner Tetitaha said that evidence was historic.
In 2019, ACC recorded 8083 claims for skateboarding injuries. That increased to 9692 in 2020 before reducing slightly to 8950 in 2021.
Compensation claimed for skateboarding injuries was $9,636,176 in 2018.
"These would now appear to be a substantially greater number of skateboarding injuries than in 2000 to 2009," she said.
"These facts indicate the ministry ought to (at least) review the current data pertaining to skateboarding injuries and consider law changes to require the wearing of helmets while skateboarding. There remains little doubt that if Mr Sangsirichat had been wearing a helmet he may not have died from head injuries."
Coroner Tetitaha made recommendations that the Ministry of Transport review the current data pertaining to skateboarding injuries and consider law changes regarding the wearing of helmets while skateboarding.
A further recommendation was made for the Auckland City Council to consider a design standard for skate parks that prevents or restricts the building of skate ramps on the sides of buildings that are not designed for skaters to drop in onto the skate ramp.
She extended her condolences to Sangsirichat's family for their loss.
