Heroic actions save woman

The car crossed the centre line into the other lane and ploughed through a fence at the top of a the concrete retaining wall.

SATURDAY 6pm: A 58-year-old Tauranga woman, whose car plunged over a two-storey bank yesterday, is in a stable condition in Tauranga Hospital tonight.

A Tauranga Hospital spokesperson said the woman was in a stable condition in the surgical ward after being brought in by ambulance yesterday afternoon.

FRIDAY: The quick response and heroic actions of a group of Bureta women helped save a 58-year-old Tauranga woman whose car plunged over a two-storey bank, narrowly missing a house and car, landing on its roof yesterday.

The woman was travelling west up Ngatai Rd, just past the Bureta shops, about 2pm, when her car crossed the centre line into the other lane and ploughed through a fence at the top of a the concrete retaining wall.

Her car travelled about another 20 metres in distance, over a parked car which was untouched, skidding to a halt only a metre from a garage.

Tania De La Haye was in her house when the car tumbled into her driveway.
"I heard the loud crash and I just grabbed the phone," she said.

"I called and said 'just send everyone'."

She said the noise of the crash was one she would remember.

Mrs De La Haye's car was parked in her driveway at the bottom of the retaining wall at the time, however the momentum of the other car meant it travelled over hers before landing further down.

"I can't believe it didn't hit my car and it didn't hit my house," Mrs De La Haye said.
Mrs De La Haye's neighbour Sherylee Barnaby was standing in her kitchen and saw the crash unfold.

"I was in my kitchen, it looks straight up at the road... I just saw the red streak go through the fence. Straight through and straight over.

"I went running out the door to see if everything was alright.

Mrs Barnaby and Mrs De La Haye helped to pull the woman from her car through the small gap where the driver's window had smashed.

"My main concern was her so I was keeping her calm and speaking with her," Mrs Barnaby said.

Seeing the distance the woman's car had fallen and the extent of the damage to the vehicle, Mrs Barnaby said she was lucky to only be injured.

"She was very lucky to be wearing a seatbelt. She's one very lucky lady.

The woman was treated by St John paramedics at the scene before being taken to hospital with a leg fracture and neck and back pain.

Mount St John shift manager Gary Bishell said she was conscious when emergency services arrived and was in a stable condition.

A Tauranga Hospital spokesperson said the woman was still being assessed in the emergency department at 6pm last night.