She was Madison Marie Chamberlain, 19, of West Auckland.
“Our thoughts are with Madison’s family and friends at this very difficult time,” a police spokesperson said today.
“The police investigation into the events that unfolded on Sunday afternoon is continuing.”
Emergency services and two rescue helicopters rushed to the accident scene on Auckland’s west coast about 2.30pm.
A fisherman told The New Zealand Herald a ute was “hooning” on Muriwai Beach before it flipped, throwing Chamberlain from the vehicle and crushing her.
The man, who wished to remain anonymous, said a girl was in the back of the ute as a man drove it on the beach doing doughnuts.
He said the incident was tragic and he felt for the families affected.
“Those utes they just flip so quickly. They dig in and before you know it you’re on your roof. These young ones, it’s one moment of stupidity and now their families are trapped forever.”
The incident has led to further calls for cars to be banned on the popular Auckland beach.
Rodney local board chair Brent Bailey told the Herald vehicles on the beach are in direct conflict with beach-goers who want to use it for activities such as kite surfing and 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.”
Another resident, Ed Donald, said he’d been pushing for years to have better policing of vehicle access to the beach.
Thee current speed limit of 60km/h on the beach was ridiculous, he believed, and should be dropped to 10km/h - 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 Sunday's death was “tragic” but feared there would be more if action wasn’t taken.
“How many deaths do you need?”
