The Star: November 09, 2023

THE DRIVER of a car which ploughed
through a pole and a barrier at the
Halswell shopping area miraculously
escaped serious injury.
The vehicle lost control on Halswell
Rd and came to a halt on a grassed area.
Parts of the vehicle were scattered. The
driver fled the scene.
A police spokesperson said a patrol saw
a vehicle speeding and driving dangerously
on Halswell Rd about 3.15am on
Friday, but it was not pursued because of
the manner of driving.
Police have now identified a person of
interest and inquiries are ongoing, the
spokesperson said.
The car was not stolen.
Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
Speeding driver crashes; flees scene
• From page 1
The Coroners Court earlier
heard a senior policeman, who
was watching a delayed feed
of the terrorist’s livestream
of the massacre, relayed the
information in error in a
panicked transmission over
police radio.
For a few minutes, police and
paramedics at the scene thought
the terrorist was returning to the
mosque, but they soon realised it
was a mistake.
It was one of the times where
Stockdale felt the security situation
at the scene changed.
Stockdale told the court police
at the scene did not tell him the
information was incorrect, which
was “unsettling”.
There was no debrief about
the situation and they all “just
ploughed on”.
Just minutes later at 2.15pm,
the first two St John paramedics
entered the mosque with an
armed police escort to assess the
situation.
Soon after, injured survivors
began being taken from the
mosque, but Stockdale said he
“absolutely” still believed the
gunman might come back.
He said if he had been told it
was a false alarm, it may have
reduced his concern.
The inquest will examine
the following 10 issues over six
weeks:
• Events of March 15, 2019
from the commencement of the
attack until the terrorist’s formal
interview by police
• Response times and entry
processes of police and ambulance
officers at each mosque
• Triage and medical response
at each mosque
• The steps that were taken to
apprehend the offender
• The role of, and processes
undertaken by, Christchurch
Hospital in responding to the
attack
• Co-ordination between
emergency services and first
responders
• Whether the terrorist had any
direct assistance from any other
person on March 15, 2019
• If raised by immediate family,
and to the extent it can be
PHOTO: BARRY CLARKE
Communication error likely
halted emergency response
RESPONDER:
St John
paramedic Craig
Stockdale was
one of the first
paramedics
to enter the Al
Noor mosque.
PHOTO: CHRIS
SKELTON
ascertained, the final movements
and time of death for each of the
deceased
• The cause of death for each
of the victims and whether any
deaths could have been avoided
• Whether Al Noor Mosque
emergency exit door in the
southeast corner of the main
prayer room failed to function
during the attack and, if so, why?
– RNZ
• John MacDonald’s view,
page 15
Thursday November 9 2023 The Star
NEWS 3
In Brief
Vehicle stolen at
knifepoint
A man was arrested after
allegedly stealing a vehicle
at knifepoint on Greers Rd
over the weekend. A police
spokesperson said one person
was taken into custody and
inquiries into the incident are
ongoing. “It appears a vehicle
has been stolen and crashed
into another vehicle,” the
spokesperson said. No one was
injured in the incident.
Sparks in the park
returns
Christchurch Symphony
Orchestra will be joined by
Annie Crummer at North
Hagley Park on February 3.
The free concert, which has
been running for more than
40 years, will take place from
6.30-9.30pm and close with a
fireworks display.
Full tram loop reopens
The tram is back running
its full 4km loop in time
for summer, following the
completion of work around the
High and Tuam Sts intersection.
The tracks have been upgraded
and some components replaced.
The 500m loop had been closed
since January following a tram
derailment which was caused
by a number of contributing
factors. The work costs were
covered under the defect’s
liability period.
Walkway routes get
go-ahead
Routes for the remaining
network of paths and
boardwalks to be constructed as
part of the 10.3km-long Source
to Sea walkway have been given
the green light. The work is
being carried out on a case-bycase
basis as funding becomes
available and about 3.5km
has already been completed.
A section linking the NZTA
shared path with Ouruhia
Domain has been prioritised for
construction this financial year,
and 16 new sections have been
approved by the Waimāero
Fendalton-Waimairi-Harewood
Community Board, which will
cover the final two thirds of
the cost.
BRIDIE'S BAR
Breakfast
Two free range eggs
and streaky bacon on
Hand to Hearth artisan
sourdough served with
a Vivace coffee
From 8am-12pm 7 DAYS
$
12
BRIDIE'S BAR & BISTRO | 401 WORCESTER ST
PH (03) 260 0325 | WWW.BRIDIES.CO.NZ
We Make Funerals
Simple and Affordable
We pride ourselves on the very highest level
of service. If you are thinking about the future,
we can help you explore pre-payment and
pre-planning options. Contact us for a Free
Information Pack.
We offer funeral information talks to groups.
Please call us for a speaker to come to you.
christchurch.simplicity.co.nz
JAMIE HARVEY
Dip FD. Reg FD.
Manager &
Funeral Director
Christchurch | Corner of Coleridge St & Gasson St, Sydenham | Ph 03 379 0196