Cyclist critical after collision with van

The intersection of Waihi Rd and Churchill Rd in Judea, where the accident occurred.

A Tauranga cyclist is in a critical condition after colliding with a van early yesterday morning.

The van and cyclist collided at 7.55am at the intersection of Waihi Rd and Churchill Rd in Judea.

The 30-year-old, suffered serious head and neck injuries and was yesterday in a critical condition in Tauranga Hospital.

A resident living near the intersection said he did not see the crash happen but noticed the injured man lying on the ground shortly after with about three people attending to him.

Traffic kept flowing because the man was lying off the road, he said.

A woman who works nearby said Waihi Rd was a very busy road with traffic and popular with cyclists. "It's really bad ... We do get quite a lot of cyclists."

The intersection with Churchill Rd was very close to the intersection with Robins Rd on the other side of Waihi Rd so there was always a lot of turning traffic, she said.

"It's just a nightmare."

Police would like to speak with the driver of a vehicle travelling towards Tauranga City who was understood to have given way to the van as it turned right from Waihi Rd into Churchill Rd just prior to the collision. Witnesses who have not yet spoken to police are asked to call Tauranga Police Station on 577 4300.