A Rotorua coroner says the deaths of three Boston university students killed in a crash near Turangi last year could have been avoided if seatbelts had been worn.
The van carrying eight visiting students rolled near Rangipo in the central North Island after the driver lost control, and four passengers who were not wearing seatbelts were thrown from the vehicle.
Coroner Wallace Bain found that three died instantly from their head injuries, while the fourth suffered severe injuries.
Those who died were: Ross Nicholas Jauberty and Austin Perry Brashears, both 21, and Daniela Rosanna Lekhno, aged 20.
Mr Bain endorsed comment by an expert crash analyst that, if seatbelts had been used they could well have survived, as did all the passengers who were wearing belts.
The father of Austin Brashears wrote a letter to the coroner about the loss of his son, and his hope that others learn from his tragic error in not wearing a seatbelt.
Mr Bain said it was a beautiful testament to a wonderful son. He said it was a tragic case that makes sobering reading, in particular for the parents of young people, and emphasised the importance of wearing seatbelts.
The coroner also found that rumble strips on either side of the road may have prevented the crash. His findings have been sent to the Ministry of Transport.
