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Warwick Smith / Stuff
A roadside tribute to June Eynon, the bus driver who died at the railroad crossing after a collision with a train on Wednesday.
There are petitions to improve the safety of a railroad crossing where a beloved bus driver died.
June Eynon, 63, died after the school bus she was driving collided with the side of a moving train at an intersection near Bunnythorpe, 12 kilometers from Palmerston North, on Wednesday morning.
Many of the 40 passengers had to be helped from the bus, including students from Feilding High School. Seven passengers required hospital care for minor injuries.
While bus commuters have been paying tribute to Eynon on social media, those living near the junction of Railway Rd and Clevely Line are demanding safety improvements.
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Warwick Smith / Stuff
Robyn Curtis has been complaining about the crossing of Railway Rd and Clevely Line for years.
“It’s a bad intersection to navigate for cars, let alone buses,” said resident Robyn Curtis, who had lived on Parrs Rd, which runs parallel to the Clevely Line, for four and a half years.
“The whole crossing is dangerous, and I’m really mad about it.”
Eynon had worked for Uzabus for four years. At a ceremony at the crash site Wednesday night, her husband Henry Eynon said it was a blessing that no child had been seriously injured. June’s only wish would have been for them to be protected.
Numerous tributes on Facebook have described June Eynon as a friendly and compassionate woman, eager to strike up a conversation with passengers and provide a free fare for someone in need.
“She was an incredible bus driver. She loved her job and all the children she took with her, ”Tayla Perenara posted.
Curtis said she was upset and angry when she learned of the accident and the death of the bus driver.
He had repeatedly complained to the Palmerston North City Council about the absence of a turn lane for traffic crossing the railroad tracks and that the speed limit of 100 km / h was too high.
“There is such limited space to get up [to] the railroad track to overcome the tracks … There must be at least one turning lane, but it is falling on deaf ears. “
WARWICK SMITH / THINGS
A bus collided with a train near Palmerston North. The bus driver has died, while 40 passengers on board have escaped.
Lifeguard Kevin McCord, who lived near the crossing and was with Eynon when he died, said the road was horrible, and Palmerston North man Ian Franklin said the dangers extended beyond the intersection.
For motorists on Railway Rd, traffic continuing on the Clevely Line would fly out from the left side before a sharp right turn, leaving Railway Rd traffic in a straight line with nowhere to go.
The major accident unit of the police, Uzabus and the Transport Accident Investigation Commission have opened investigations into the cause of the accident. Sergeant Major Phil Ward said sunset could have been a factor.
Palmerston North District Council Executive Director Heather Shotter said Wednesday’s collision was tragic and the council’s thoughts were with the driver’s family, friends and colleagues and the school children.
Warwick Smith / Stuff
Emergency services were at the scene of an accident between a school bus and a train on Railway Road near Bunnythorpe.
A change to the speed limit in and around this intersection was not included in the council’s speed limit law revision. A temporary speed limit change could only be implemented for the purpose of road works or if the road surface is deemed unsafe, he said.
“However, we are open to discussing speed limit change options with the police as part of their investigation.”
The council has received a complaint about the intersection in the past two years.
The bus service is run by the Horizons Regional Council, hiring drivers and buses from Uzabus.
The route between Palmerston North and Feilding was mapped for its proximity to communities and businesses, maneuvering and safety for passengers getting on and off the bus, said Horizons transportation manager Rhonda Hewitt.
According to the NZTA accident maps, there was a fatal accident on the same stretch of road in 2011.
