Injured soldier of Unimog accident 'unlikely to fully recover'

The soldier injured when the Unimog truck he was driving crashed, killing one other soldier, is unlikely to fully recover from his injuries, doctors have told his parents.

Private Khan Hogg, 18, was driving the Mercedes Benz Unimog when it left the road while travelling through the twisting Weld Pass, 14km southeast of Blenheim, last Wednesday.

Private Meredith Simms, 18, of Upper Hutt - the only other person in the Unimog - died at the scene.

A funeral for Pvt Simms was held today in Upper Hutt.

Pvt Hogg's parents - Glenn Hogg and Angela Murdoch - said in a statement through the New Zealand Defence Force that they extended their deepest sympathies to Pvt Simms' family.

"We feel your pain and share your grief as our families go through this difficult time."

Mr Hogg and Miss Murdoch said they had received advice from a "number of medical specialists over the weekend that our son is unlikely to fully recover from this accident".

"We want to thank the members of our son's platoon for providing immediate medical assistance and the army for its ongoing support, and we are grateful for the specialist medical care from Burwood Hospital he is receiving."

The statement comes as questions remain about the appropriate level of training necessary for soldiers to drive a Unimog.

It is the eighth fatal accident involving a Unimog since 1994. There have been more than 120 crashes involving the all-terrain vehicles in the past six years

Army spokeswoman Major Denise Mackay said Pvt Hogg gained his class two (heavy traffic) licence in September 2005 and qualified to drive a Unimog in October.

His qualifying course required him to spend 30 hours driving light military 4WD vehicles and then 30 hours of supervised and assessed driving in a Unimog.

He had completed an average of 50 hours driving time in the Unimog during the 10-day exercise in Marlborough before the accident.

Pvt Hogg had driven a Unimog in support of the recent Civil Defence emergency in Canterbury, she said.

"Private Hogg had a high level of familiarity with the Unimog.

"On a daily basis he drove, maintained, loaded and serviced the vehicle. His driving tasks were varied and included both on and off road travel."

Last week Army chief Major General Lou Gardiner said he remained fully confident in the fleet.

"We've operated a large fleet of Unimogs for over 20 years, and we drive 2.8 million kilometres per year in these vehicles."

However a Blenheim truck driver trainer with 12 years experience of the trucks described driving a Unimog "like trying to drive a waterbed".

Grant Ingersoll of Master Drive Services told The Marlborough Express Unimogs were ideal for the army, "but you have to be very careful.

"They've got a higher centre of gravity than other trucks and these big balloony tyres with knobbly treads. It's almost as if they're filled with water. Once you lose it they're gone."

Mr Ingersoll, who trained Unimog drivers for the air force, said Unimogs were powerful, "quite tourquey" and had sensitive power steering.

Army regulations brought in after a fatal 2005 Unimog crash in Central Otago meant all newly licensed driver trainees must drive with an instructor.

- NZPA