Waitangi weekend: Road toll stands at two after fatal motorcycle crash

Sunday, 7 February 2021

The Waitangi weekend road toll currently stands at two after two fatal crashes on Sunday.

The first crash occurred just before 9am where two vehicles crashed on Trig Rd in West Auckland’s Whenuapai.

One person died at the scene.

The Serious Crash Unit was called to the scene and the road was closed for about five hours.

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* Another 24 hours filled with fatal car crashes on our roads

* Foreign drivers involved in two serious crashes over Waitangi weekend

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The second crash, involving three motorcycles, occurred on State Highway 52, near Napier.

One person died in the crash and another two people were injured.

A spokesperson from Hawke’s Bay District Health Board said a woman in her 60s was in a serious condition, and a male in his 60s was stable.

The road had been closed as the Serious Crash Unit examined the scene and motorists were asked to avoid the area.

On Saturday, three people were injured in a two-truck crash in Lepperton, near Taranaki.

The crash occurred at the intersection of Mountain Rd and Clearview Rd around 10.40am.

Police said the circumstances of the crash would be investigated.

In a media release, Superintendent Steve Greally said it was important to remember road safety basics while driving over the long weekend.

“Wear your seatbelt, stay within the speed limit, drive to the conditions of the road, put your phone away, always make sure you are alert, and keep a safe following distance,' Greally said.

“We know people want to get the most out of a long weekend, however speeding and bad decision-making on the road can have devastating consequences.

“There will be traffic and there will be hold-ups, so it’s important to stay calm and patient. How you act on the roads impacts everybody else around you. The important thing is to arrive at your destination alive.”

The long weekend road toll will end on Monday.