Hawkes Bay Today
  • Hawke's Bay Today home
  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology

Locations

  • Napier
  • Hastings
  • Havelock North
  • Central Hawke's Bay
  • Tararua

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Napier
  • Hastings
  • Dannevirke
  • Gisborne

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Hawkes Bay Today

State Highway 5 trailer fire: Hawke’s Bay roadworker commended for going above and beyond

Hawkes Bay Today
23 May, 2024 02:38 AM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save
    Share this article
Traffic management specialist Ngawaka Heremia is being praised for his quick thinking and focus on safety after extinguishing a trailer fire. Photo / NZTA Waka Kotahi

Traffic management specialist Ngawaka Heremia is being praised for his quick thinking and focus on safety after extinguishing a trailer fire. Photo / NZTA Waka Kotahi

A normal day manning stop/go traffic management systems escalated quickly for one brave Hawke’s Bay roadworker, who leapt into action when a trailer burst into flames at his post.

Ngawaka Heremia, a ProTraffic site traffic management specialist, is being hailed as a hero for his swift response in extinguishing a fire on State Highway 5 between Napier and Taupō.

Hermia and his team were managing a stop/go temporary traffic area when the incident occurred.

According to the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, a car towing a trailer pulled up to the stop, and Heremia could smell burning rubber and brake fluid.

As the trailer wheels burst into flame, Heremia ensured all other traffic was stopped, then jumped into action and grabbed the nearest fire extinguisher.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

When the fire was extinguished, he quickly checked on the driver, and they realised the driver had unknowingly travelled for approximately five hours with the trailer’s brakes on.

“Temporary traffic management is about keeping you and roadworkers safe in and around worksites, and it’s fair to say Ngawaka took this concept to another level with his actions,” NZTA Waka Kotahi said.

Heremia’s selfless actions coincide with this year’s Road Safety Week, during which roadworkers nationwide are celebrated for their work.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

He said that while most people understand the job his crew needs to do, it’s not completely unusual to encounter driver abuse.

He asks all his crew to respond with kindness because, in his words, you can’t get angry at kindness.

NZTA Waka Kotahi said it was moving towards a new approach that ensures people only see the traffic management necessary for workers to get the job done.

“We’ve heard people want to see fewer cones and signs, and we’re working to make this happen. On the East Coast, Transport Rebuild East Coast (TREC) teams are already using the new approach to better manage travel times across a wide range of worksites.”

The agency thanked Heremia for his “quick actions”, which they said kept others safe from harm.

“When you see road workers out on the road, travel safely through their worksites, follow signage and any instructions you receive, and give them a wave to say thanks for their tremendous work.”

Save
    Share this article

Latest from Hawkes Bay Today

Hawkes Bay Today

'What community care looks like': Offroading club helps remove close to 400 tyres from riverbank

11 Sep 10:48 PM
Premium
Hawkes Bay Today

Iwi establishing its own health authority, considering purchase of medical clinics

11 Sep 06:00 PM
Premium
Hawkes Bay Today

Flying the coop - Hawks rookies picked up by US colleges

11 Sep 06:00 PM

Sponsored

Kiwi campaign keeps on giving

07 Sep 12:00 PM
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Hawkes Bay Today

'What community care looks like': Offroading club helps remove close to 400 tyres from riverbank
Hawkes Bay Today

'What community care looks like': Offroading club helps remove close to 400 tyres from riverbank

The 4X4 club, whose oldest member is 24, plans to make it a monthly event.

11 Sep 10:48 PM
Premium
Premium
Iwi establishing its own health authority, considering purchase of medical clinics
Hawkes Bay Today

Iwi establishing its own health authority, considering purchase of medical clinics

11 Sep 06:00 PM
Premium
Premium
Flying the coop - Hawks rookies picked up by US colleges
Hawkes Bay Today

Flying the coop - Hawks rookies picked up by US colleges

11 Sep 06:00 PM


Kiwi campaign keeps on giving
Sponsored

Kiwi campaign keeps on giving

07 Sep 12:00 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Hawke's Bay Today e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Hawke's Bay Today
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • NZME Events
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP