Coroner finds inadequate median barriers contributed to triple fatal crash

A coroner has determined that a crash in New Zealand that resulted in the deaths of three men could have been avoided if highway median barriers had met current safety standards. Coroner Alison Mills recommended that road authorities urgently prioritize replacing outdated median barriers, known as legacy barriers, installed in the late 1990s. The victims—Leauga Jerry Leauga, Fa’aofo Uili Fa’aofo, and Ta’avao Kelemete—were killed in the incident on State Highway 1 on August 26, 2024.

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