Fatal Christmas double accident – brother urges motorists to be careful and slow down

The brother of a man who died in an accident on Christmas Day is urging people to slow down on the country’s roads.

Five people have already died since the holiday road toll period began this year, surpassing the number of lives lost in the entire period last year.

Terry Charleston, 34, and Rebecca McAlees, 24, died after a single vehicle accident in southeast Auckland on Christmas night.

Police confirmed that speed is suspected to be a factor in the accident, but categorical confirmation of what went wrong will only be given when the serious investigation of the accident is completed.

Jason Ward last saw his younger brother Charleston at his mother’s funeral earlier this year.

“I haven’t seen him since,” Ward said.

But when he learned of the accident on Clevedon-Kawakawa Rd, his instincts told him that Charleston would be involved.

“Something inside suggested that it was my brother or that he had something to do with it because he was living at that address.”

Ward, who lives in Hunua, went to the scene of the accident yesterday to inspect the indicators of a roadside tragedy.

“The skid marks go for dozens of meters. They start way up,” he said.

“Speed ​​was a mega factor. He came around that curve at an absolutely horrible speed of knots.”

The horror of the accident included that a pet dog, which had belonged to his mother, was “catapulted” out of the front window of the car. The dog did not survive.

“Don’t speed up,” Ward urged motorists. “If you are going to accelerate there is a race track [for that]. “

The 43-year-old spoke out because he wanted people across the country to drive safely and soberly as a difficult year draws to a close.

Ward also wanted to thank the emergency services who responded to the terrible aftermath of the fatal double collision.

Interestingly, another member of the family had unknowingly been in the queue of traffic that piled up behind the crash site.

Catching up with a friend, she had postponed her trip for about 20 minutes. Otherwise, he would have been traveling the same highway around the same time as Charleston, he said.

Ward said he was thankful that he didn’t suffer another loss.

He said he knew McAlees’ parents were “beyond devastated” by what had happened and that there were simply no words that could make up for their loss.

Inspector Jason Homan said that every death on the road means that a person will never return home to their whānau and friends.

Police urged drivers to be careful on the roads and slow down, he said.

“Don’t speed up. Don’t drink and drive. Put on your seat belt and make sure your passengers have theirs. Put away distractions like cell phones.

“Our officers work tirelessly every day to keep our roads safe, but we cannot control the actions of every driver, every minute of the day, and people must take responsibility for their driving behavior.”

Road safety is something everyone must take responsibility for, Homan said.

“Everyone who gets behind the wheel must take responsibility for their safety, that of their passengers and also of other road users and pedestrians.

“And if you are a passenger in a vehicle and you don’t feel safe, have the courage to say something to the driver or ask to get out.

“Get yourself and your friends home safely this vacation and be careful on the roads.”