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NZ Herald
11-05-2025
- NZ Herald
Coroner releases findings into death of Hemi James Rapaea in Hawke's Bay car crash
It's been nearly a decade since the crash on State Highway 2 and until now, it was unclear who was driving the Ford Fairmont when it flipped, south of Hastings. Now, Coroner Bruce Hesketh has named who he believes was driving, as well as the man he believes helped the driver flee the scene, on March 10, 2016. The coroner was satisfied that, on the balance of probabilities, Thomas Albert McKinnon was driving and Maurice Tareha assisted him. He found the actions of the two men, known to be Black Power members at the time, reflected 'unfavourably' on them, and gave them a chance to respond to his findings. They did not respond. Hesketh found Rapaea, who had been hitchhiking to Hastings after visiting a relative in Palmerston North, died from neck and chest injuries. He said the most likely reason the vehicle left the road was because McKinnon was fatigued and fell asleep. The coroner found Rapaea was still alive and responsive when McKinnon left the scene with Tareha, and they had failed to attempt CPR, nor did they call an ambulance. 'It is unknown if the outcome would have been different if Mr McKinnon had rendered assistance to Mr Rapaea after the crash and called emergency services,' the coroner said. A forensic pathologist believed Rapaea would have needed 'rescue breathing', rather than regular CPR, and this would have required McKinnon to be a trained first-aider or paramedic. Police conducted an inquiry at the time into who was driving the car, even featuring the case on Police Ten 7 seeking more information. However, charges were never laid. The coroner suggested police did not consider there was sufficient evidence to 'successfully identify the driver and succeed with a criminal prosecution'. The coroner further explained that while a criminal prosecution requires facts to be proved 'beyond reasonable doubt', a coroner needs only to be satisfied of the facts 'on the balance of probabilities', or 'more likely than not'. What happened that night CCTV footage showed Rapaea at the Dannevirke Caltex shortly before midnight on March 9, 2016. McKinnon and Tareha started their night in Wellington, having travelled from Hawke's Bay to purchase the Ford Fairmont. It's still unknown when or where Rapaea got into the Ford. While Tareha was arranging the change of ownership in Wellington, McKinnon had left in the newly-purchased Ford, leaving the Caldina behind for Tareha. Part of the evidence referred to by the coroner included a pie wrapper, Powerade bottle, and cellphone which were all found in the crashed Ford, and all of which were linked to McKinnon. McKinnon accepted he'd taken the Ford to a petrol station in Wellington where he'd bought a pie and Powerade, but said after that he'd been travelling in the Caldina. He had no explanation for what happened to the Ford after that. The coroner found neither Tareha nor McKinnon had been truthful in their statements that denied McKinnon had driven the car up to Hawke's Bay. Advertise with NZME. At 3.22am, police received the first call from a witness who'd come upon the crash. When the first car arrived on the scene, the driver saw another car stopped in the northbound lane with lights on full beam. The coroner was satisfied that car was the Caldina and as the driver of the other car didn't see anyone walking around, it meant at this point McKinnon was either still inside the Ford, or already in the Caldina. A truck arriving on the scene then saw the Caldina driving away at speed. The police accessed text messages sent to and from Tareha's phone later in the morning of the crash. An unknown number had sent a message saying, 'Bro as you read dis rng me 'important' bout car'. Tareha's phone was later used to send a message to a senior Black Power member: 'Yo lose wheel on car flipped it'. Accidental, 'but preventable' Coroner Hesketh found Rapaea's death was accidental, but preventable. The crash analysis supported a finding that driver fatigue was likely to be the major contributing factor. He accepted while it was perhaps unlikely that McKinnon or Tareha would have had the skills to give the necessary assistance to Rapaea, neither man tried, nor did they call an ambulance. There was no way to know if an earlier call would have led to paramedics getting there sooner, and in time to save Rapaea. The coroner issued warnings about driving while fatigued, including avoiding driving during hours of sleep, getting a good night's sleep before driving, and sharing the driving. If a driver starts to feel sleepy, they're advised to stop driving and pull off the road to take a short nap in the passenger seat. A police spokesperson told NZME the case remained open. 'Police has taken the investigation as far as we can at the moment, however there is currently insufficient evidence to file a charge in court. 'If further information is forthcoming, police will assess it and, if required, reassess any next steps.' Hannah Bartlett is a Tauranga-based Open Justice reporter at NZME. She previously covered court and local government for the Nelson Mail, and before that was a radio reporter at Newstalk ZB.
NZ Herald
01-05-2025
- Business
- NZ Herald
New Zealand's love affair with pies: Tradition meets innovation
'The majority of Kiwis prefer beef-based pies,' says a Big Ben spokesperson, 'but over the years, tastes have changed and some of our pie lovers have started to become a bit more adventurous.' The company points to a recent Radio Hauraki collaboration, where listeners voted for a limited-edition steak and jalapeno cheese pie, as evidence of our growing appetite for new flavours. Still, certain classics endure. 'Mince and cheese consistently sees the highest sales, followed by steak and cheese,' Big Ben confirms. That comes as no surprise. As Big Ben points out, New Zealand is a dairy nation, and consumer testing shows that when a pie doesn't include cheese, its overall appeal tends to drop. The company now only makes one product without cheese – its original sausage roll. That reliance on cheese, the beef bias and a love of portability have turned pies into a cultural mainstay. The company traces its own pie lineage back to World War II, when its predecessor brands Cheffy and Broadway were supplying baked goods to the Pacific. In the 1970s, George Weston Foods bought the Auckland Bakeries business, which would go on to create the Big Ben brand. Today, the company's pies are a familiar sight in dairies and supermarkets across the country. But they've been joined by many others. While nostalgia runs deep, it hasn't stopped a new generation of bakers from tinkering with the format. The past decade has seen the rise of boutique bakeries offering everything from smoked kahawai pies to vegan renditions filled with jackfruit and mushroom ragu. There are awards for best pie, pie festivals, and pie-focused social media accounts. The pie has gone gourmet. Still, the essential appeal remains the same: a golden crust, a generous filling, and the satisfaction of something warm and reliable in hand. Pies, says Big Ben, are ideal for 'DIYing or doing some epic adventure – nothing hits the spot quite like a pie'. And there's something egalitarian about the pie, too. Whether you're grabbing one from a petrol station at dawn or ordering one with pinot noir at a bistro, the basic qualities are the same. That golden crust. A rich, savoury filling. A burn on the roof of your mouth that you never quite regret. (Although, of course, we should all heed the advice of the cop on TV show Police Ten 7 who famously told a suspect, 'Always blow on the pie. Safer communities together.') The pie, in all its humble, flaky glory, is less a food trend than a national treasure – and one that New Zealanders are unlikely to relinquish any time soon. That versatility is perhaps the secret to its survival. It has evolved with us. While it might still be associated with petrol stations and school tuck shops, it now also appears on farmers' market stalls and cafe blackboards. And, like any national favourite, it carries with it a weight of personal history: childhood memories, travel rituals, shared smoko breaks. The humble pie, then, is anything but. As tastes change and the food scene shifts, it continues to fill more than just a hunger gap – it fills an emotional one too.
