Four injured in van crash with army vehicle

NZ Army light armoured vehicle and a van collided on the Tahaenui Bridge between Nuhaka and Whakaki. Pictures supplied by Makayla Ihipera Jenner-Whatarau

Four occupants of a van suffered multiple injuries on Saturday night when their vehicle and a New Zealand Army light armoured vehicle (LAV) collided on the Tahaenui Bridge between Nuhaka and Whakaki.

The crash happened at about 7pm that night and State Highway 2 at the crash site was down to one lane for a considerable time.

Two women and two children from Gisborne were flown to Gisborne hospital by the ECT rescue helicopter and the Lowe Corporation rescue chopper from Hawke’s Bay.

“They had suffered multiple injuries. No one in the armoured vehicle was hurt,” an ECT chopper spokeswoman said.

Police said the injuries ranged from moderate to serious.

“But their injuries were not considered to be life- threatening,” police said.

The hospital reported this morning that three were admitted to hospital.

“A 36-year-old woman and a 10-year-old girl will be discharged today,” a hospital spokeswoman said.

“A 15-year-old girl will remain in hospital. She is in a stable condition.”

A second woman, in her late 40s, was also treated in hospital.

The Herald understands the LAV was part of a group of light armoured vehicles on a training exercise that had come through the Gisborne district from the Waikato. They were on their way south.

“The van struck one of the front wheels of the LAV just on the Wairoa side of the bridge, causing the wheel to come off,” police said.

“The LAV then veered off the road, crashed through the bridge approaches barrier, and over the bank.

“It came to rest on its side on the riverbank,” police said.

A crane from CR Taylor Ltd was used yesterday to lift the 16-tonne LAV back on to the road, and on to a transporter the army brought in.

“It was a bit tricky to recover, because there wasn’t a lot of room,” Dave Taylor said.

“But it worked out OK.”

The LAV was taken away for inspection as part of a serious crash investigation police have under way.