Weekend of motorbike crashes - Rotorua man in intensive care after

Photo / File

One man remains in intensive care after multiple crashes involving motorcycles this weekend.

Two people were injured in a motorbike crash on Te Puke Highway on Saturday morning.

Elsewhere, a man was injured in a separate crash in Tauriko that afternoon.

A 49-year-old Rotorua man who was critically injured in the Te Puke crash was in intensive care in Tauranga Hospital today, according to Tauranga Hospital communications manager Diana Marriott.

The other person involved, a 45-year-old Te Puke man, sustained moderate injuries and was in Tauranga Hospital in a stable condition, Marriott said.

The Te Puke Highway crash happened at 11.20am yesterday and reportedly involved two motorbikes.

One of the motorbikes involved caught fire after the crash and was quickly extinguished.

Diversions were put in place, with motorists asked to take alternative routes where possible until the road reopened about 1.30pm that day.

A police media spokesperson said there was no indication of the cause of the crash as yet.

Another motorcyclist sustained moderate injuries after colliding with a car yesterday afternoon on State Highway 29 in Tauriko.

A police media spokeswoman said the incident happened about 3.35pm and the collision happened as one of the vehicles exited a petrol station.

The occupants of the car did not appear to have sustained any injuries, she said.

New Zealand Transport Agency acting director for safety and environment Niclas Johansson urged motorists to drive to the conditions, always wear a seatbelt, refrain from driving when tired, avoid alcohol and concentrate while driving.