26 Jan 2024

Muriwai Beach crash death: Victim Madison Chamberlain farewelled by work

7:17 pm on 26 January 2024

By Raphael Franks of NZ Herald

Madison Chamberlain, 19, died when the ute she was in flipped on Muriwai Beach, on Sunday 21 January.

Madison Chamberlain, 19, died when the ute she was in flipped on Sunday. Photo: Supplied/ Facebook - New World New Lynn

The employer of a teenager killed in a crash on Muriwai Beach has offered a tribute to the "beautiful and kind" girl five days after she died.

Madison Chamberlain, 19, died when the ute she was in flipped on Sunday.

New World New Lynn remembered her online: "Maddie worked on the checkouts in our store, she was a beautiful and kind people-person and much loved by us all.

"We're so sad, looking after each other here and heartbroken for Maddie's family, friends and every one of us who had the privilege to know and love her."

Another comment from the supermarket said: "We will miss your beautiful smile and you will always be a part of our family".

Police inquiries continue

A police spokesperson told the New Zealand Herald that inquiries into the crash, in which the ute flipped after alleged "hooning" along the beach, were ongoing and police had not laid any charges.

A fisherman told the Herald he saw the ute "hooning" before it flipped, throwing Chamberlain from the vehicle and crushing her.

Emergency services and two rescue helicopters rushed to the scene on Auckland's west coast about 2.30pm on Sunday.

The incident led to calls for cars to be banned on the popular Auckland beach to stop similar deaths.

One person died and another two were injured when a vehicle rolled on Muriwai Beach northwest of Auckland on Sunday 21 January 2024.

Photo: Supplied

Rodney local board chair Brent Bailey told the Herald that vehicles being driven on the beach were in direct conflict with beachgoers who wanted to use it for activities like kite surfing or sunbathing.

"As a Muriwai resident and someone who supports the decision to ban [vehicles] I have sympathy for the regional park staff who have to deal with the amount of traffic and congestion and competing uses.

"The immature behaviour by a small segment of the community has already caused tragedy - and I think it's probably avoidable."

Resident Ed Donald said he had been pushing for years to have better policing of vehicle access to the beach.

He said the current speed limit of 60kmh on the beach was ridiculous, and it should be dropped to 10kmh, as well as having police deployed to prosecute rule breakers.

"We have been asking and asking for more policing on the beach and they just say, 'we don't have the resources'," Donald said.

"How many deaths do you need?"

The death was "tragic", Donald said, and he feared more could follow if action was not taken.

The father of a teenager seriously injured when his motorbike collided with a ute on Muriwai Beach also said there needed to be some kind of ban on vehicles on parts of the beach.

Phil Hanson spoke out after Chamberlain's death, and said news of the incident had brought back harrowing memories.

* This story originally appeared in the New Zealand Herald.

Get the RNZ app

for ad-free news and current affairs