Man angry no one answered for mum's death | Wairarapa News | Local News in Wairarapa

Anger still simmers in Brodie Fitzgeorge three years after a truck crushed and killed his mother.
Laurel Fitzgeorge, 64, died from chest injuries when a fully laden truck and double trailer unit with faulty brakes failed to take a corner on the northern side of the Rimutaka Hill Rd on State Highway Two in January 2007, and overturned on to her Mazda car, which had been travelling in the opposite direction.
Mr Fitzgeorge says he supports a call from Wellington coroner Garry Evans for a review of heavy commercial truck safety regimes after it was found the brakes were faulty on the truck.
''I'm all for mandatory service scheduling but within reason, not so it penalises operators who already follow sound safety procedures. It's the cowboys that should be hit.''
Mr Fitzgeorge, who holds a heavy trade licence himself, is angry ''no one has been held accountable'' for his mother's death.
The driver of the truck, Naera Waimotu, was acquitted of dangerous driving causing the death of Mrs Fitzgeorge.
''The driver was found not guilty _ and I was there at his trial and understand why the jury went that way.
''But the owner has never been formally questioned, let alone charged, and that's hard to take,'' said Mr Fitzgeorge.
Mr Evans said in his report that Mr Waimotu had failed to check the brakes on the vehicle despite being ''on notice'' that there was a fault.
A jury later acquitted Mr Waimotu of dangerous driving causing the death of Mrs Fitzgeorge, who was retired and lived in Waikanae.
Mr Evans found the truck and trailer unit had not been properly maintained and he called for a review of safety regulations governing heavy vehicles.
The New Zealand Transport Agency has since closed the company that owned the truck for operating unroadworthy vehicles.
Owner Wayne Weber has lost his licence to run a trucking business but was never charged.
He last week told a Wellington newspaper the matter was ''dead and buried'' and refused to comment on the Rimutaka Hill Rd death. Mr Evans found that the truck and double trailer unit had been improperly maintained despite having a current certificate of fitness the day Mrs Fitzgeorge died.
The vehicle had done about 13,000km since its brakes were last serviced, he found, and had ''locked up'' a week earlier.
Mr Evans said it was clear the trailer units had not been kept in a ''fit and proper condition'' and the truck should not have been driven until inspected and repaired.
Mr Waimotu told the inquest the brake pedal response had been ''like a sponge''.
John Heazlewood, a 57-year-old father of two, was sitting beside Mrs Fitzgeorge in her car and sustained a broken sternum and severe bruising.
The court heard Mrs Fitzgeorge exclaimed ''My God!'' as the rear trailer had started tipping.