Awatoto intersection: Neighbour calls for speed limit drop after woman critically injured in crash

A hatchback and van appear to have collided, tipping the van on its side. Photo / Paul Taylor

An Awatoto intersection where a crash injured three people on Friday, one of them critically, needs its speed limit lowered, those living in the area say.

A woman in her 40s remained in a critical condition on Friday afternoon after the two-vehicle crash.

Emergency services responded to the crash near the Maraenui Golf Club and at the intersection of Awatoto Rd and beachfront route State Highway 51 (formerly SH2) about 7.25am on Friday.

Witnesses at the scene said a hatchback and van appeared to have collided, tipping the van on its side.

St John said three people had been taken to Hawke's Bay Hospital, one in a critical condition, one in a serious condition, and one in a moderate condition.

A spokesperson from Hawke's Bay Hospital said the woman was in critical condition, while a girl in her late teens was now in a stable condition.

Another teenage girl has since been discharged.

The road was closed between Ellison St and Waitangi Rd for roughly three hours as crash investigators combed the scene, before clean-up crews stepped in.

The road is notorious for flooding during heavy weather as well which causes further issues. Photo / File

Maraenui Golf Club Manager Phil Carew said Awatoto Rd intersection with SH51 was a blackspot and needed to have its speed limit cut.

"Most of the roads around here are still showing the speed limit as 80-100km/h and that's just too fast around here," Carew said.

"The area has really grown in recent years and traffic is building with it and it's causing a bit of havoc.

"With our golf courses here some people have to walk along the road to retrieve the odd ball. It is putting pedestrians at risk."

The intersection was also notorious for flooding during bad weather, which causes more issues.

According to New Zealand Transport Agency statistics, there were 81 crashes in total from 2009 to 2018 on the section of SH51 that runs through Awatoto - from Ellison St in Napier to Waitangi Rd.

Among those were four fatal crashes, five serious and 72 minor crashes or less.

An NZTA spokesperson said it does not currently have any work planned at the intersection, however it was open to feedback and ideas from the general public.