Doctors Vinay Angadi and James Huang were killed in a road crash at a Palmerston North intersection in August 2020.
Doctors Vinay Angadi and James Huang were killed in a road crash at a Palmerston North intersection in August 2020.
Almost three years to the day two doctors were killed when they were wiped out by a truck while travelling to brunch, further changes to make the dangerous intersection at which they died safer remain “deferred”.
James Huang, 27, and Vinay Angadi, 26, were good friends and both doctors at Palmerston North Hospital emergency department.
On the morning of August 12, 2020, they were heading to Whanganui to meet friends for brunch with Angadi behind the wheel and Huang as his passenger.
Along their way, Angadi travelled northwest on Palmerston North’s Roberts Line towards the intersection with Railway Rd but failed to see a stop sign and drove straight into the intersection and into the path of a truck, causing a collision.
The young doctors were declared dead at the scene.
Coroner Meenal Duggal has now released her findings on the deaths, endorsing the efforts of the Serious Crash Unit (SCU) and Palmerston North City Council (PNCC) to expedite safety measures at the intersection, at which 13 crashes occurred between 2011 and 2020, including two fatal and three serious.
The Coroner noted several safety recommendations had been made by the SCU and that many have been actioned by PNCC.
But an earlier proposal to close part of Railway Rd leading away from the intersection and Roberts Line to the south of the intersection, which would remove the road over the railway and thus the risk to drivers, has been deferred.
PNCC told the Coroner that Roberts Line would still be closed, however, it would now occur together with the development of the KiwiRail regional freight hub in that area.
“A timeframe for this cannot be forecast.”
Huang and Angadi had worked together as medical doctors at Gisborne Hospital before they relocated to Palmerston North in 2019.
Following their deaths, family, friends and colleagues paid tribute to the men, described as “the most caring individuals ever”, on a Facebook page dedicated to the pair.
Thousands of dollars were raised on Givealittle pages set up to assist with funeral costs and calls were made for safety improvements at the intersection, including through a petition.
Intersection of Roberts Line and Railway Rd in Palmerston North.
The findings on their deaths, made on the papers, noted the intersection was controlled by a stop sign on Roberts Line and that both Roberts Line and Railway Rd were subject to a 100km/h speed limit at the time of the crash.
As the truck driver approached Roberts Line, Angadi entered the intersection.
Witnesses said Angadi made no attempt to slow down or stop before entering, the findings said.
The truck driver told police he attempted to swerve but could not avoid the collision.
Senior Constable Brett Parkinson of the Palmerston North SCU investigated the crash and his report was provided to the Coroner.
He did not consider the vehicles, fatigue, alcohol or drugs, or speed to be a contributing factor to the crash.
But his report identified the environment as a causative factor.
It said the design of Roberts Line for northwest traffic approaching Railway Rd was narrow and there were issues with the signage.
The impact of the signage warning drivers there was an intersection ahead was diluted by signage for the railway line, and the stop sign was often hidden behind the barrier arm.
“The only prior indication of a stop sign is 200m from the intersection where octagonal marked warning signs are placed. There were no other signs warning drivers of the stop.
“The major intersection blends into the railway warning signs and is easily mistaken as a warning for the railway crossing. Further, Railway Rd is below the railway line and not visible until a vehicle is on or very close to the railway crossing.”
Parkinson’s report advised both drivers would not have been able to see each other due to the railway line and shelter belt.
He believed Angadi, who had lived in Palmerston North for less than a year, was likely following directions on a GPS and as he was approaching the intersection, failed to recognise the signs advising the need to stop.
Several recommendations on how to improve the safety of the intersection were made by the SCU, including long-term suggestions to implement a roundabout, a complete relocation to one side of Roberts Line intersecting with Railway Rd, or moving the railway crossing to the left which would make drivers turn prior to arrival at the crossing.
The PNCC provided a report to the Coroner in which it said the complex layout coupled with the limited space between the road and rail corridors made it difficult to modify the intersection to accommodate all turning options, particularly for heavy vehicles.
“As a result, PNCC has been unable to determine an effective and practical approach that addresses all the risks within the funding and approval limits set by PNCC and Waka Kotahi/New Zealand Transport Agency.”
PNCC told the Coroner that following fatal crashes at the intersection in 2018 and 2020, safety signage and warning devices have been implemented.
Since the doctors’ deaths, more work - including introducing rumble strips and reducing the speed limit to 60 km/h on all approaches to the intersection - has been done, the council said.
PNCC advised the plan to close part of Roberts Line would still go ahead but had been deferred.
Ultimately, Coroner Duggal found that both Huang and Angadi died of injuries sustained in the car crash.
She supported the efforts made to date to improve safety at the intersection and said in light of the anticipated changes to Railway Rd and Roberts Line, she had no further recommendations.
PNCC’s transport manager Hamish Featonby confirmed the council was looking at further long-term safety improvements at the intersection as part of KiwiRail’s development plans for the freight hub.
“There are no specific dates set for that yet,” he told NZME.
“If we have concerns about safety at the intersection before that development occurs, we will look at interim measures.”
Tara Shaskey joined NZME in 2022 as a news director and Open Justice reporter. She has been a reporter since 2014 and previously worked at Stuff where she covered crime and justice, arts and entertainment, and Māori issues.
