Police have named the young woman who was killed after a ute rolled on Auckland Muriwai beach on Sunday.
She was Madison Marie Chamberlain, 19, of West Auckland.
“Our thoughts are with Madison’s family and friends at this very difficult time,” a police spokesperson said
“The Police investigation into the events that unfolded on Sunday afternoon is continuing.”
Emergency services and two rescue helicopters rushed to the accident scene on Auckland’s west coast about 2.30pm on Sunday.
A fisherman told the Herald a ute was “hooning” on Muriwai Beach before it flipped, throwing Chamberlain from the vehicle and crushing her.
The man, who wished to remain anonymous, said a girl was in the back of the ute as a man drove it on the beach doing doughnuts.
He said the incident was tragic, and he felt for the families affected.
“Those utes they just flip so quickly. They dig in and before you know it you’re on your roof. These young ones, it’s one moment of stupidity and now their families are trapped forever.”
The incident led to further calls for cars to be banned on the popular Auckland beach to stop tragedies like this one.
Rodney local board chair Brent Bailey told the Herald vehicles on the beach are in direct conflict with beach-goers who want to use the beach for activities like kite surfing and sunbathing.
“As a Muriwai resident and someone who supports the decision to ban [vehicles] I have sympathy for the regional park staff who have to deal with the amount of traffic and congestion and competing uses.
“The immature behaviour by a small segment of the community has already caused tragedy - and I think it’s probably avoidable.”
Local resident Ed Donald said he’d been pushing for years to have better policing of vehicle access to the beach.
He said the current speed limit of 60km/h on the beach was ridiculous, and it should be dropped to 10km/h - as well as having police deployed to prosecute rule breakers.
“We have been asking and asking for more policing on the beach and they just say, ‘We don’t have the resources’.”
Donald said the death was “tragic” but feared further deaths could follow if action wasn’t taken.
“How many deaths do you need?”
Rachel Maher is an Auckland-based reporter who covers breaking news. She has worked for the Herald since 2022.
A selection of cartoons from Herald cartoonist Rod Emmerson over the past year