Hearse dead? Don't call the AA

Martin Williams had to call a towtruck. Photo / Greg Bowker

The Automobile Association refused to help the driver of a hearse stranded and carrying a body, despite his funeral-home boss having been an AA member for 25 years.

Martin Williams, from Penrose, says he was left in the lurch when he needed urgent repairs.

On Tuesday, one of his staff was driving a body from Whangarei to Auckland when his vehicle broke down north of Wellsford.

Mr Williams, who was not with the hearse, told AA's breakdown service he could send another hearse to collect the coffin but he hoped it could repair the broken fan-belt or tow the vehicle.

"You can't stick a hearse on the back of a tow-truck with a body in it," he said.

The AA told Mr Williams a service officer could not be sent out because the driver of the hearse was not an AA member.

It offered a roadside sign-up for the staff member, and gave him a list of mechanics and towing companies he could call.

"I had no idea that was how things work," said Mr Williams. "As a long-time member of AA Breakdown, I expect the AA to assist me when I really need them, not quote the fine print at me in their policy.

"We came up against a brick wall, where they just did not want to offer us any assistance."

Mr Williams used a private towing company instead. Its truck took three hours to arrive and he was charged $320 to return the hearse to Auckland.

"We had a body in the car, with a family in Auckland wanting to see the deceased," he said.

"It was a busy day, and by the time we got back, the family had decided not to come and view their mum."

Mr Williams' wife swapped the coffin between hearses on the side of the road.

The AA's general manager of membership, Dougal Swift, said the organisation always made it clear that the driver seeking help must be a member.

"The policy has been that way for a long, long time. It's just a commercial necessity. We'd love to be able to help out every good cause but our members wouldn't be very happy with that, and we can't afford to."

AA has about 1.3 million members, including up to 870,000 on individual memberships.

Mr Swift said the organisation always gave the option of roadside membership, at a cost of $195.

Mr Williams said he planned to buy AA's corporate deal so his entire fleet would be covered for breakdowns.

"Luckily for us, the family saw the funny side of it."