Crash response restores mother's faith

The roundabout in Bethlhem is often chaotic and busy.

It was an unidentified young truck driver and a woman on her way to work who restored Trudy Riley's faith in human kindness.

'And somehow I just want to reach out to them and say thank you,” says Trudy. 'Because their actions were truly appreciated.”

This all started on the Bethlehem roundabout at 9am last Friday when everything came unstuck for Trudy's daughter Teagan.

She was on her way to school, Bethlehem College, when she was struck midships by a car driven by another young restricted licence holder. But out of the bad, out of bent panels and peak time pandemonium, came reassuring goodness.

First there was the young truck driver who was following Teagan when the accident happened.

'He was only in his 20s,” says Trudy.

'But it was as though he had done a course. He knew exactly what to do. He was very good about checking her. She was stuck in her car and he made sure she was okay and that it was safe to move her.”

Then the truckie drove Teagan's car off the roundabout and parked it safely. In the meantime a woman on her way to work stopped and loaded Teagan into her car. 'Especially heart-warming,” says Trudy.

Then she drops Teagan off at her mother's workplace up the road.

'Really nice but she had to get on her way to work before I got her name.”

Everyone was impressed.

'Even the traffic officer said we were so lucky because generally people just toot, want the whole thing out of their way and drive on past. Our experience was heart-warming.”

Now, factor in the perpetrator, who as it transpired, was 'a wonderful young man who simply made an error of judgment”.

Since the accident about 9am, Friday June 30, the young man has texted Trudy twice.

'He was concerned for her peace of mind, concerned it was so upsetting for her. And he was quite distressed as well.”

The young restricted licence holder on full insurance had been worrying about Teagan all night. And he said he had learned from the experience.

'I thought that's good – accidents happen but as long as we learn from them. And he promised he would be much more careful in future.”

There was even a fortuitous outcome with the keys. Teagan gave them to the truck driver to move her car from the roundabout.

But when Trudy and Teagan returned to the accident scene they reported the keys missing to the traffic officer.

'You mean these keys?” he said.

The truck driver handed them in before leaving the scene. Teagan's fractious Friday was falling back into order.

And earlier this week she was back at a defensive driving course – looking to trim six months off the time it takes to get a full drivers licence.

And at the end of the day a mother was grateful.

'It's scary having your kids out on the roads. But it's also reassuring to know that if things go wrong, good people will step up. Here were two young people very shaken by their experience and people offered them comfort,” says Trudy.

'We just wanted to reach out to them. Thank them.”

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2 comments

Still plenty of good younger people around

Posted on 10-07-2017 09:20 | By Papamoaner

And it's risky walking around on a roundabout too. Good result.


Bethlehem roundabouit

Posted on 10-07-2017 13:41 | By spoilerfactory

Teaching someone to drive through this roundabout was always a very nervous experience. Those travelling to town and back to Te Puna are often flying thro very fast, in two lanes, they dont want to stop, Those going from Bethlehem to or from Moffat rd are often taking their life in your hands. The only safe time is in rush hour when they have to stop. I am surprised it wasn't named worst accident spot, there are often very close calls.


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