a ...brought to you by Mazda. Tonight on Sunday ` the trip of a lifetime that turned to tragedy. It was something that we had been told was absolutely phenomenal and that we needed to do. And it turned out to be just that. Just two days in... I have a vague memory of turning right and seeing a truck. ...three of them were dead. We're talking about an American tourist who's used to driving on the opposite side of the road to us. Why are so many tourists dying on our roads? It defies explanation. Then... Thunderbirds are go! ...Sir Richard Taylor... So what are we looking at here? So what are we looking at here? Well, this is Lady Penelope's house. ...recreates Thunderbirds. The magic of the models took over, and that's really been a lifelong fascination. Captions by Anne Langford. Captions were made possible with funding from NZ On Air. Copyright Able 2015 Kia ora. I'm Miriama Kamo. He killed his best friends and he killed his wife. Dr Richard Barnett, an orthodontist from Utah, USA, had 40 years' driving experience on the right-hand side of the road, but just two days in NZ on the left. Why are tourists killing themselves and us on our roads? The statistics, as you'll hear tonight, are horrifying. And what made Richard Barnett drive straight into the path of an oncoming truck? He spoke to Janet McIntyre shortly before returning home. This was a tragic accident due to a momentary mistake. We all make mistakes ` some with far more devastating consequences than others, but, nonetheless, this was a mistake. Richard and Tamara Barnett, Mitchell and Ruth Ann Peterson ` tourists in our country for just two days. They arrived with high hopes for the holiday of a lifetime. They left, all but one of them, in coffins. This is an absolute tragedy on so many levels. Those people were tourists. We live in the most beautiful country in the world. It's only natural that people want to travel to our country, but that brings a whole pile of challenges with it. The sole survivor of the car, Richard Barnett, spoke to Sunday just before he flew out to be reunited with the rest of his family in Utah. The first interaction will likely be with all my children, my four brothers and sisters and my parents meeting me at the airport. Although I need to get back there, and I need them, it's not a reunion I'm looking forward to. How did it happen on this relatively straight stretch of road between Hamilton and Waitomo? An SUV heading north, a truck heading south, the weather was good, the road was dry, visibility good. As both vehicles approach this intersection, Richard Barnett in the SUV turns right, straight into the path of the oncoming truck. I won't say that it was my conscious decision that caused this, but it was my action, I won't deny it. It was my action that caused this. With his wife in the passenger seat and friends in the back all dead, Richard Barnett escaped with minor injuries. It defies explanation. It absolutely defies explanation. The two couples arrived in the country just the day before, Tuesday, March 10, after their long journey from Salt Lake City, Utah. Richard picked up a rental, a new Toyota Highlander, at the airport. They gave me some printed instructions and they informed me at the counter there had been several recent accidents involving tourists. They said mostly Asian. They gave him a brochure about signs, speeds, intersections and driving on the left side of the road. Have you driven on the left before? > Have you driven on the left before? > Have I driven on the left before? The answer to your question is no. This is the first experience I had driving on the left. How confident did you feel about doing it? Obviously, I was a little more alert than usual, paying a little closer attention than usual. I understood that it would require a little more attention to detail, perhaps, than driving usually. And what did you make of our roads? Your roads are, for the most part, very much like country roads at home. After staying overnight in Auckland, Richard drives the two couples to Hamilton where they check into an apartment before heading to Waitomo. Here, just an hour before their deaths, Ruth Ann and Tammy emerge from the caves. It was something we'd been told was absolutely phenomenal and that we needed to do, and it turned out to be just that. How did your wife like it? She tolerated it. She didn't hate it but it's not her. That's not really her thing. I asked her, 'Did you have a good time, and she said, 'It was all right,' and I could tell that was kind of code for, 'Yeah, this was OK but now you owe me one.' You owe me one, meaning what? You owe me one, meaning, 'I did this one for you, now you're gonna do something for me.' Shopping probably. It was not to be. Later they'd scheduled a visit to the Mormon Temple in Hamilton. Both the Barnetts and the Petersons were devout members of the Church of the Latter Day Saints. They were due there at 6.30. After we had left the caves, we were all hungry. We hadn't had lunch. We were rushing` Well, we weren't rushing, but we were trying to get back to the LDS temple. Were you tired? Not particularly. Still a bit jet-lagged? Mm, perhaps, but at 5.30 in the afternoon, that would equate to about 9.30 in the evening at home. They were five minutes from their destination on State Highway 39. Coming toward them was a loaded B-train ` a tractor and two-trailer unit ` heading to New Plymouth. The two vehicles are about to collide. Up next... After seeing what was there, I have an almost certain idea as to what happened, but I don't remember. And bystanders to the rescue. I did my best, and I got told to come and sit with you. That's what I did, mate. I came and held your hand. SIRENS WAIL A disaster will affect us and the emergency services we take for granted. A flood or serious earthquake could easily stop an ambulance or a police car from reaching you. In a major disaster, hospitals will be stretched beyond capacity. If so, it'll be up to you to take care of your family. Make sure you're prepared before it happens. Visit getthru.govt.nz to get ready now. 5 The Barnett and Peterson couples are about to become the latest statistics in a dreadful holiday period for tourists. Since the start of summer, there have been 42 vehicle crashes involving foreign visitors to NZ. 19 people have died. Almost all the crashes have been caused by visitors themselves; tourists like Richard Barnett from Utah, who was driving his wife Tammy and friends Ruth Ann and Mitchell Peterson. What do you remember about the crash? Very little, actually. Thankfully, I think. I remember driving, being on the road, no worries, no problems. I have a vague memory of turning right and seeing a truck as I turned, but I also remember that there was not enough time to panic or feel fear or react to any of those things. The truck driver didn't want to appear on camera. This is the second fatal he's been involved in. Neither crash was his fault. But he told me he was travelling south at 90km/h. He's seen the SUV approaching, preparing to make a right-hand turn. Naturally, he's expecting the driver will give way. But the SUV keeps coming, turning right straight into his path, leaving the truck driver just one second to brake before impact. TYRES SCREECH 22-ton truck versus 2-ton car. Three people dead. An off-duty police officer takes charge. A motorist stops to help. It's unbelievable that someone would in this day and age, particularly, unbelievable that someone would go out of their way with no thought for themself to just help. It must have been, from his point of view, absolutely horrific what he was looking at. I would have to think so, and yet he saw someone in need and came to the rescue. Do you know who he was? I don't know his name. I don't know his address. I don't know anything about him. Richard doesn't even remember that the man, Muir Schmit, sat beside him for 20 minutes waiting for an ambulance. How are ya? I did my best, and got told to sit with you and make sure you stayed focused, not looking around. And that's what I did, mate. I came and held your hand and talked to you. My guardian angel. Everyone needs at least one. I highly recommend them. But there were others there too. But there were others there too. I'm sure there were, and great thanks to them as well. > But what happened? How did it happen? I have an almost certain idea as to what happened, but I don't remember. Richard says things became clearer after he returned to the site at the same time of day, 5.30pm. The road was in shadow. And what is it that you're almost certain happened? What I can tell you that I think happened is that I was paying such close attention on roads that I was unfamiliar with, and the lighting conditions were such that I made the right-hand turn that I should have made, and was so focussed on getting that right, that I just didn't see the truck. I just didn't see the truck. So you were fully present in that moment? So you were fully present in that moment? Yeah. Absolutely focused on taking that corner? Absolutely focused on taking that corner? Yeah. But missed the truck coming at you? But missed the truck coming at you? Yeah. How could you not notice a massive oncoming truck? Those things happen sometimes. I don't have an answer for that. I would tell you that that's why they call it an accident. We're talking about an American tourist who's used to driving on the opposite side of the road to us. So they're potentially combating the issue of, 'Which lane do I turn into to,' because there's potentially more than one. Hamish Piercy, a crash investigator with the police for 20 years, now a private consultant, says it's likely Richard Barnett was fighting decades of conditioning of driving on the right-hand side of the road. The American driver may well have expected the truck to pass on his left, which would mean that he had a free right turn, so if he did see the truck approaching, he may have made the assumption that it would pass to his left. Hamish Piercy says tourists need more information before they get on our roads. What our road lineage means, what our signage means, what colour we use for what in the way of road signs and road lineage. That lack of information ` they'll make do without it, and they're not making do very well. CHOIR SINGS Within a few days, members of the Church of the Latter Day Saints in Hamilton rallied to support the families of the three dead Americans, strangers to this congregation. Tammy's and Richard's son, Christopher, flew in to join his father and to speak of his mother. The love for her family that she felt was fierce. She fiercely loved her husband, her children, her grandchildren. To me it seemed she almost ached when she spoke about the love that she had for those closest to her. Richard Barnett quickly pleaded guilty to three charges of careless driving causing death. He was in and out of out of court in two days so he could get home. The court acted, in my view, mercifully, which is all part of meting out justice to anybody, and keeping him here any longer than was necessary to go through the process of answering these charges would have been cruel and unusual treatment, frankly. Lawyer and Mormon minister Tom Sutcliffe questions the fine of $3000 for the loss of three lives. < Did he get off lightly? < Did he get off lightly? Lightly? He's lost his wife. He's lost two of his dearest friends. What use is a fine? I mean, this was not a deliberate act. This was carelessness, which is defined under NZ law as being, essentially, imprudent driving. A moment's inattention. As the judge indicated in his sentencing of Richard, the penalty that he would impose would no way compensate for the loss of life. Less than a week after the crash, speaking to Sunday, steeled by his deep faith, Richard Barnett was composed about the loss of Tammy, his wife of 34 years. My personal belief, my personal feeling, is that the Lord had work for her to do. What I will say is on the other side, and that her time here was finished. Whatever she had been sent here and born to accomplish was finished in this life and she was needed elsewhere. Does that go for the Petersons as well? Does that go for the Petersons as well? Yeah. You're saying it was meant to be? You're saying it was meant to be? Yeah, I believe that. And how do you explain that you survived? The only explanation that makes any sense or gives... at all is that I still have something to do. It wasn't my time. Does that belief allow you to distance yourself from your part in this? No, that's not meant to distance me from it. The belief system that gives me that perspective is as much a part of me as the colour of my eyes. He was ordered to pay $1500 to the truck driver, an owner-driver, who told Sunday he's suffered financial loss. His truck is a right-off. But he says it's not the life sentence the American driver will endure. Richard Barnett has left NZ hoping others might learn from his mistake. Perhaps someone can hear my story and some good will come out of it. Any good that can come out of this is a positive as far as I am concerned. Police told Sunday they were unable to comment while the crash was before the coroner. After the break, behind the scenes with Sir Richard Taylor as he re-creates a TV classic. International Rescue, we have a situation. We long held the aspiration but it was almost beyond comprehension that the pieces could come together. Thunderbirds are go! Mother Nature loves food that's free from artificial colours, flavours and preservatives, and so do I. That's why my Uncle Ben's Express Rice is made with delicious rice, vegetables and herbs and spices. Ready in just two minutes. Begin with Ben and get to wholesome meals fast. Hello again. Remember Jeff Tracy, Brains and Lady Penelope? It's been 50 years since the first episode of Thunderbirds captured the imagination of viewers around the world. Well, as Libby Middlebrook discovers, thanks to our own Sir Richard Taylor, Thunderbirds are go once again. Five,... Five,... DRAMATIC MUSIC Five,... DRAMATIC MUSIC ...four... It was the countdown to the hottest show on television. ...one! BOOM! Thunderbirds are go! Old-fashioned string puppets transformed into sci-fi action heroes. My earliest memories was this wonderful unique model-made world opening up in front of me. At the time, I didn't actually even appreciate that the puppets weren't human. I completely connected with them. And from the moment Sir Richard Taylor first saw the Thunderbirds, he was hooked,... The magic of the models took over, and that's really been the lifelong fascination. ...turning his boyhood obsession,... Ngila Dickson and Richard Taylor for The Lord of the Rings... ...into a world-class career in special effects. Yes, uh, it plays a big part in what inspired me ` the love of being able to create fantastical worlds from models. In fact, there is a lemon squeezer right there in the front nose cone of this particular spaceship. But he never imagined that his production company,... MAN: International Rescue, we have a situation. ...would be the one to help bring the Thunderbirds back to life. Thunderbirds are go! We long held the aspiration, but it was almost beyond comprehension that the pieces could come together. ALARM WAILS BOOM! It was almost 50 years ago to the day that Thunderbirds first launched on to our screens. Thunderbirds, when it came out, was definitely the most cutting-edge television at the time. ARCHIVE: Supermarionation is a new dimension in adult entertainment, and the actors start here in the puppet workshop. Can you hear us? Can you hear us? We picked up your emergency call. Can you hear us? We picked up your emergency call. Here I go. The heroes were the Tracy brothers, puppets in a miniature model world, battling evil,... Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go. ...and captivating children with their daredevil rescues. You know, they selflessly go out every day risking their lives in the pursuit of people's preservation. And that humble quality and that very decent way, I guess, touched something with me. I just can't tell you how thrilled I am to be here, Jeff. The puppets smoked and they drank,... Ain't ya got my grub ready yet, Lil? ...but back in the '60s, this was appointment family viewing. Get help! Kids' TV today, I call it 'kids-on-crack television'. There's this,... (MIMICS EXPLOSIONS) incredibly hyper quality. Everything is pinging, bouncing. And in what way was the Thunderbirds different? The Thunderbirds had a sense of family, a sense of endeavour, and you wanted to catch up with them every week. It was during Taylor's work on Lord of the Rings that he got the chance to meet the creator of Thunderbirds to ask if he could remake the show. I had the great fortune of meeting Gerry and got his blessing. It's taken 13 years to pull off, but the new rebooted version is now good to go,... EXPLOSION ...home-made in Wellington by Pukeko Pictures, a company Taylor co-owns. We've strived very hard to keep the core DNA of the original show, and, obviously, all the characters, for the most part, are the same characters that were in the original. International Rescue. But there's a modern twist. There are no puppets in the show; not as we know it from the original show. How do you think diehard fans are going to react? There is going to be a great deal of debate and a certain level of disappointment that we have not been able to do an exact xerox of the original show. TYRES SCREECH We just couldn't have achieved the level of characterisation and dynamic that we require for our audience today. The vehicles and all the characters are digital ` younger too. Did you really have to dump the punchbowl on the Ambassador's lap, Parker? Lady Penelope is more like a crime-fighting pop star than a 1960s aristocrat. (CHUCKLES) John is sending me a selfie. Yet the model backdrops remain just as they were 50 years ago. So, what are we looking at here? Well, this is, uh... This is Lady Penelope's house. It's crafted from wood, plaster and polystyrene by designers from Weta Workshop. It's a pretty accurate representation of the original from the show. Much bigger than what they used, but, uh, cool, though. Very cool. And for how many hours of work goes into making something like this? Uh, this is... This is a crazy amount of hours, like hundreds of hours. More than 800 trees were handmade for this Tracy island model alone. Do you think a 50-year-old series will resonate with today's kids? That is a very very big question, and only time will now tell. Thunderbirds are go! Pukeko's produced 26 new episodes, a coproduction with Britain's ITV,... There's very little time on this one. ...hoping kids will find it as F-A-B as they did half a century ago. Thunderbirds are go! EXPLOSION Oh man, didn't you love that set? Thunderbirds will screen on TV2 in a couple of weeks. Well, that's us for tonight. Do join us on Facebook and Twitter, Sunday TVNZ.