Police investigators would speak to him further.
Schreuder said the woman’s body was recovered about 8am by divers organised by the family.
The BMW sedan was recovered from the water by crane this afternoon.
Lack of barrier ‘crazy’
Geary said it was “shocking” nothing had changed at Chapel St since his mother, Maree Geary, died in December 2021.
Another vehicle ran a red light and forced the car she was driving off the road and into the estuary.
Her partner Shane Carnell was rescued by a builder who broke the car window with a hammer.
The driver of the other vehicle pleaded guilty to careless driving causing death in 2022, admitting he was distracted talking to his passenger.
Josh Geary (left) and Shane Carnell pictured in 2021 after the death of Maree Geary. Photo / George Novak
Geary told the Bay of Plenty Times this morning that he believed a barrier between the road and the water “would have definitely stopped” his mother’s vehicle from entering the estuary.
Geary said he believed the stretch of road, particularly near the Bay Central entrance, needed better protection.
“It’s a definite problem, especially by that intersection.
“Having no safety barriers that close to an intersection with that kind of depth of water is pretty crazy.”
The Bay of Plenty Times previously reported the 2021 crash prompted an investigation by police and Tauranga City Council.
In 2022, the council confirmed no changes to the site would be recommended as a result.
Then-council director of transport Brendan Bisley said staff were satisfied the site was safe for motorists “in normal circumstances”.
“The circumstances that caused the [2021] accident are unique and sadly resulted in a tragic outcome for a family.”
Two police divers entered the water for the vehicle recovery operation and investigation today. Photo / Zoe Blake
Ōtūmoetai councillor Glen Crowther told the Bay of Plenty Times today he had raised concerns about safety on Chapel St and believed the latest crash warranted a fresh look at potential improvements.
Crowther said he raised the possibility of a safety barrier more than a year ago, but was unsure what had happened to the issue in terms of council work programme priorities.
“I definitely think we need to look at all the options and figure out what is best practice there.”
He cautioned that barriers had limits and their effectiveness would depend on factors such as the speed of a vehicle and the force of an impact.
“There’s a point at which a barrier is helpful and there’s a point at which it’s probably not going to [be].”
Crowther said he did not have enough information about the latest crash or the circumstances of previous incidents to say whether a barrier could have prevented them.
Council transport system operations manager Shawn Geard said safety barriers remained under consideration for Chapel St.
Geard said a pedestrian and cyclist barrier beside the Waikareao Estuary was assessed as part of a 2023 business case but was not progressed after the project failed to secure Government funding.
More recently, the council investigated fencing along the waterfront section of Chapel St, but design constraints, complexity and cost meant no funding had been allocated.
After today’s crash, Geard said the council would review the circumstances of the incident and further investigate potential improvements, including barriers, fencing and path upgrades.
“We cannot comment further until the police investigation into the cause of the incident is complete as this will help inform our investigation into potential improvements along Chapel St.”
He said a review of the national Crash Analysis System identified two recorded incidents involving vehicles entering the water from Chapel St.
A recovery crew removes a BMW from Tauranga’s Waikareao Estuary on Friday afternoon.
In November 2022, two 19-year-olds escaped injury after the one driving lost control and their car plunged backwards into Tauranga Harbour off Chapel St.
The driver told SunLive the vehicle hit a water-covered white line before he lost control. Both occupants managed to escape after the car became submerged.
Last year, an older man was taken to Tauranga Hospital after his mobility scooter went off the road and into the water off Chapel St.
The latest fatal crash has renewed scrutiny of a stretch of road with a history of vehicles entering the harbour. Photo / Zoe Blake
Police today cordoned off the section of Chapel St outside Bay Central for a period mid-morning, preventing access to the shopping area.
Chapel Cafe staff member Steve Singh said this morning he saw police speaking with people who appeared to be family members.
“They were looking upset” as they spoke with officers behind a building.
Heathcotes Tauranga store manager Brian Stewart said he saw more than a dozen “very sombre” people who appeared to be family members consoling each other.
Zoe Blake is a multimedia journalist at the Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post.