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Train hits police car on Taramakau bridge.2006.
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DescriptionNina Townsend
Train driver was my brother. The police woman was young & new to the coast. The train givesway before approaching the bridge she went on the bridge which gave the train driver the ok to approach. Poor lass didnt realise she would have been fine had she kept going forward but she panicked & tried to back off before the train got there yeh trains dnt reverse just like that but he was goin slow this is the result ofcause police investigation squad were there in minutes done their bit then told him to move the train so traffic could flow again but he refused until the railway investigators had turned up to do their bit & to b honest thats probably wot saved his arse cause nek minnet there was no more to b said. Poor girl was very shaken but the only real causality was the police carDate of Photo2006Map[1] ContributorSue Eade
Train driver was my brother. The police woman was young & new to the coast. The train givesway before approaching the bridge she went on the bridge which gave the train driver the ok to approach. Poor lass didnt realise she would have been fine had she kept going forward but she panicked & tried to back off before the train got there yeh trains dnt reverse just like that but he was goin slow this is the result ofcause police investigation squad were there in minutes done their bit then told him to move the train so traffic could flow again but he refused until the railway investigators had turned up to do their bit & to b honest thats probably wot saved his arse cause nek minnet there was no more to b said. Poor girl was very shaken but the only real causality was the police carDate of Photo2006Map[1] ContributorSue Eade
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Location (city or town)KumaraLandmark (Place)Taramakau Bridge
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Category TagBridge
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CommentsMarion E Mundy he try she mate was a woman cop lol
Cedric Trounson
she was a young police officer, hadnt been in for long
Nina Townsend
Viv Sheehan yip they did but he refused to move the train til the railway investigation folk come. She was a young cop wen she seen the train approaching from behind she panicked & tried reversing off the bridge this is the result
Nina Townsend
Train driver was my brother. The police woman was young & new to the coast. The train givesway before approaching the bridge she went on the bridge which gave the train driver the ok to approach. Poor lass didnt realise she would have been fine had she kept going forward but she panicked & tried to back off before the train got there yeh trains dnt reverse just like that but he was goin slow this is the result ofcause police investigation squad were there in minutes done their bit then told him to move the train so traffic could flow again but he refused until the railway investigators had turned up to do their bit & to b honest thats probably wot saved his arse cause nek minnet there was no more to b said. Poor girl was very shaken but the only real causality was the police car
Mary Moffitt
Paddy Wakefield Yes Paddy, you are so right. Another accident on one of these bridges on the Coast cost two lives. My friend was the fireman on a train which hit a car. One person was killed and then the driver of the train was cross-examined so often that he could not bear it, and he chose to end his life. That shocked the authorities involved and after that they made so very sure that the fireman was more protected, and that he was watched carefully. I do not think that the train crew was at fault, but whatever way you look at it, it was just an awful thing to happen - an accident.
Some of us just cannot laugh at an image like this. It is awful too, and the accident clearly changed the life of the young driver of the car. Thank goodness you both survived, and thank you for sharing this with us. Thank you too for getting it right by waiting till your support arrived.
David Ching
I was there that day fishing by the bridge. Hearing the crash, I ran up the bank to see if I could help, but the main work had already been done. The truck following the Police car was carrying the AOS who had been on an exercise. The heaps of gravel and ground up rails resting against the front side of the trains wheels clearly demonstrated the power used to stop the train, which I believe was jammed into reverse to assist the stopping. Another Constable actually drove the car from the position shown in the pic to a safe place on the other side of the bridge. Now the bridge is "trains only" I doubt there will be a repetition.Ian Mehrtens
Why did'nt you tack the Athurs town rut then. HA HA.
Sandy Brown
Gannon Fowler monster
Gannon Fowler
Sandy Brown most of the world eat goat on regular so definitely not a monster lol
Gannon Fowler
Sandy Brown rather eat export quality road kill than pay top dollar for the tb old cow meat in shops
Allan Wasley
fair cop
Janine Ram
Breaking all the rules
Riyadh Riyadh Riyadh
Delwyn Perkins Invercargill remember this bridge
Karl Barkley
Crossed this Bridge many Times not much fun when Wet
Jude Nicoll
Lol i remember that
Brian Hemera
Did you have anything to do with this Julian Evans
Julian Evans
Brian Hemera not guilty, well after my time, and never worked on the coast.
Stephen Smith
Julian Evans probably be George Gardner
George Gardner
Yea well, I was in the market for a Blonde at the time!
Graeme Macilquham
l believe the driver of the Police car wasn't charged. I don't know how they talked their way out of that.
Stephen Dwyer
Graeme Macilquham . Probably charged the train for failing to stop or not using his indicator prior to turning onto the bridge.
Karen Da Via
Graeme Macilquham I could hazzard a pretty good guess
Nina Townsend
Yip it all got swept under the carpet pretty quick cop was in the wrong she panicked tried reversing off before the train got there
Melanie Galbraith
That bridge was used in the 80s movie never say die
Darryn Hadland
I remember that.. female cop was trying to get get the driver to back the loco up lol, but he wasn’t moving till the boss got on site.
Alison Armstrong
Won't fit that way!
Dahl Stuart
Never argue with a coaster!
Spr Ex SimRacer
Only a Holden, no loss.
Colleen Yee
An awful experience for them both.
Dalo Sween
Bob Broadhurst
Anita Lorraine Barltrop
Good on him for standing his ground and waiting for railway investigators
Lynn Mckenzie
Great story
Barry Chapman
She shouldn’t be driving if she doesn’t know the road rules hahahaha
· Reply ·
· 2h
Lorraine Murdoch
Well west coast rules anyway
Paddy Robinson
Always been terrified going over that bridge....
Hails Long
Yea id say that wouldve saved his ass.. they stick their noses every where where they shouldn't be just like pike River
Trevor Taylor
Train always has the right of way.
Barry Beaton
Imagine the paperwork! Tad embarrassing.
Peter Creagh
I would have just accelerated hard forward.
Lesley Parker Butland
Nobody hurt that’s the main thing
Kaylah Maree
What year was this??
Bob Laing
Funny
Lorraine O'Donoghue
Not long after this incident I was hit by a car at the Cobden Bridge and this particular female police woman attended and told me all about it. She said she felt proper stupid!
Helen Jaybrye Andrews
This is old, there is a separate bridge for trains, and another for road traffic.
Jeffrey Harrison
Doesn't matter if it's Joe public or a police car under the law the train has right of way... also 1 ton car vs at least 60 ton (just the engine) the train is going to win every time!
Jeffrey Harrison
https://youtu.be/69JfJy-tEAg
How To Avoid Being Hit By A Train - Larry the Cable Guy
YOUTUBE.COM
How To Avoid Being Hit By A Train - Larry the Cable Guy
How To Avoid Being Hit By A Train - Larry the Cable Guy
Kath Windley
This is laughable shes bloody lucky,and she's a cop
Lynda Hine
I dont think she ever got charged, and stayed in the job for a bit.
Trish Wayper
Matthew Lees. One from the archives
Jodi Timms
I was trying to get to Greymouth that day but ended up going back home as the bridge was closed for ages. I got to see this though. Could have been serious but hard not to laugh about it. Always a little nerve racking crossing that bridge but pity all the road/rail bridges are gone now. They were iconic and interesting.
Cedric Trounson
she was a young police officer, hadnt been in for long
Nina Townsend
Viv Sheehan yip they did but he refused to move the train til the railway investigation folk come. She was a young cop wen she seen the train approaching from behind she panicked & tried reversing off the bridge this is the result
Nina Townsend
Train driver was my brother. The police woman was young & new to the coast. The train givesway before approaching the bridge she went on the bridge which gave the train driver the ok to approach. Poor lass didnt realise she would have been fine had she kept going forward but she panicked & tried to back off before the train got there yeh trains dnt reverse just like that but he was goin slow this is the result ofcause police investigation squad were there in minutes done their bit then told him to move the train so traffic could flow again but he refused until the railway investigators had turned up to do their bit & to b honest thats probably wot saved his arse cause nek minnet there was no more to b said. Poor girl was very shaken but the only real causality was the police car
Mary Moffitt
Paddy Wakefield Yes Paddy, you are so right. Another accident on one of these bridges on the Coast cost two lives. My friend was the fireman on a train which hit a car. One person was killed and then the driver of the train was cross-examined so often that he could not bear it, and he chose to end his life. That shocked the authorities involved and after that they made so very sure that the fireman was more protected, and that he was watched carefully. I do not think that the train crew was at fault, but whatever way you look at it, it was just an awful thing to happen - an accident.
Some of us just cannot laugh at an image like this. It is awful too, and the accident clearly changed the life of the young driver of the car. Thank goodness you both survived, and thank you for sharing this with us. Thank you too for getting it right by waiting till your support arrived.
David Ching
I was there that day fishing by the bridge. Hearing the crash, I ran up the bank to see if I could help, but the main work had already been done. The truck following the Police car was carrying the AOS who had been on an exercise. The heaps of gravel and ground up rails resting against the front side of the trains wheels clearly demonstrated the power used to stop the train, which I believe was jammed into reverse to assist the stopping. Another Constable actually drove the car from the position shown in the pic to a safe place on the other side of the bridge. Now the bridge is "trains only" I doubt there will be a repetition.Ian Mehrtens
Why did'nt you tack the Athurs town rut then. HA HA.
Sandy Brown
Gannon Fowler monster
Gannon Fowler
Sandy Brown most of the world eat goat on regular so definitely not a monster lol
Gannon Fowler
Sandy Brown rather eat export quality road kill than pay top dollar for the tb old cow meat in shops
Allan Wasley
fair cop
Janine Ram
Breaking all the rules
Riyadh Riyadh Riyadh
Delwyn Perkins Invercargill remember this bridge
Karl Barkley
Crossed this Bridge many Times not much fun when Wet
Jude Nicoll
Lol i remember that
Brian Hemera
Did you have anything to do with this Julian Evans
Julian Evans
Brian Hemera not guilty, well after my time, and never worked on the coast.
Stephen Smith
Julian Evans probably be George Gardner
George Gardner
Yea well, I was in the market for a Blonde at the time!
Graeme Macilquham
l believe the driver of the Police car wasn't charged. I don't know how they talked their way out of that.
Stephen Dwyer
Graeme Macilquham . Probably charged the train for failing to stop or not using his indicator prior to turning onto the bridge.
Karen Da Via
Graeme Macilquham I could hazzard a pretty good guess
Nina Townsend
Yip it all got swept under the carpet pretty quick cop was in the wrong she panicked tried reversing off before the train got there
Melanie Galbraith
That bridge was used in the 80s movie never say die
Darryn Hadland
I remember that.. female cop was trying to get get the driver to back the loco up lol, but he wasn’t moving till the boss got on site.
Alison Armstrong
Won't fit that way!
Dahl Stuart
Never argue with a coaster!
Spr Ex SimRacer
Only a Holden, no loss.
Colleen Yee
An awful experience for them both.
Dalo Sween
Bob Broadhurst
Anita Lorraine Barltrop
Good on him for standing his ground and waiting for railway investigators
Lynn Mckenzie
Great story
Barry Chapman
She shouldn’t be driving if she doesn’t know the road rules hahahaha
· Reply ·
· 2h
Lorraine Murdoch
Well west coast rules anyway
Paddy Robinson
Always been terrified going over that bridge....
Hails Long
Yea id say that wouldve saved his ass.. they stick their noses every where where they shouldn't be just like pike River
Trevor Taylor
Train always has the right of way.
Barry Beaton
Imagine the paperwork! Tad embarrassing.
Peter Creagh
I would have just accelerated hard forward.
Lesley Parker Butland
Nobody hurt that’s the main thing
Kaylah Maree
What year was this??
Bob Laing
Funny
Lorraine O'Donoghue
Not long after this incident I was hit by a car at the Cobden Bridge and this particular female police woman attended and told me all about it. She said she felt proper stupid!
Helen Jaybrye Andrews
This is old, there is a separate bridge for trains, and another for road traffic.
Jeffrey Harrison
Doesn't matter if it's Joe public or a police car under the law the train has right of way... also 1 ton car vs at least 60 ton (just the engine) the train is going to win every time!
Jeffrey Harrison
https://youtu.be/69JfJy-tEAg
How To Avoid Being Hit By A Train - Larry the Cable Guy
YOUTUBE.COM
How To Avoid Being Hit By A Train - Larry the Cable Guy
How To Avoid Being Hit By A Train - Larry the Cable Guy
Kath Windley
This is laughable shes bloody lucky,and she's a cop
Lynda Hine
I dont think she ever got charged, and stayed in the job for a bit.
Trish Wayper
Matthew Lees. One from the archives
Jodi Timms
I was trying to get to Greymouth that day but ended up going back home as the bridge was closed for ages. I got to see this though. Could have been serious but hard not to laugh about it. Always a little nerve racking crossing that bridge but pity all the road/rail bridges are gone now. They were iconic and interesting.
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West Coast New Zealand History (26th Dec 2021). Train hits police car on Taramakau bridge.2006.. In Website West Coast New Zealand History. Retrieved 11th Apr 2026 11:53, from https://westcoast.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/29110