Support fund for crash victim

A woman experienced serious injuries after the car she was in collided with a truck in Napier.

The community are rallying behind a "bubbly barmaid" who was badly injured in a car crash last week.

Mel Smith of Napier was one of three people who were seriously hurt when the car in which they were travelling was in collision with a truck at the Hawke's Bay Expressway intersection with Meeanee Quay, last Wednesday night.

Friend Kate Maxwell set up the Givealittle page for the barmaid from the Meeanee Hotel.

Ms Smith has a "long road" ahead of her with multiple surgeries and rehabilitation, Ms Maxwell wrote.

She was understood yesterday to be in an induced coma, and is expected to be transferred to Auckland's Middlemore Hospital this week for specialist care.

Her mum would accompany her to Auckland.

Ms Maxwell said her friend's mother needed "our support" so she could be with her daughter during this difficult time.

Money donated would go toward bills and expenses while her mother was unable to work.

As of last night, $825 had been donated.

Another woman remains in hospital in a serious, but no longer life-threatening condition, according to police.

The driver of the car has been discharged from hospital.

Ms Maxwell wrote: "As a community, let's get behind the Smiths as they focus on helping their precious daughter to heal."

-A young man died in a crash on Saturday night, the second serious crash within a week.

Police yesterday named the man as Jesse Lee Uncles, 21.

He was one of four young men in the car, which crashed on a bend near the Pakowhai Rd end of Farndon Rd, between Napier and Hastings.

Mr Uncles had been sitting in the back seat of the car.

Two passengers yesterday remained in hospital in critical and serious conditions respectively, while the driver had been discharged, police said. Police are investigating the movements of the car, a silver 1997 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IV, prior to the crash.

The fatality was the first in the Wairoa, Napier, Hastings, Central Hawke's Bay and Tararua council areas in almost three months, since a farm utility overturned entering a rural property northwest of Napier, on May 22, killing the driver.

While the nationwide road toll is up more than 10 per cent on last year, with 194 to the end of the weekend compared with 170, the Hawke's Bay and Tararua toll was nine, four fewer than for the same period last year.

-The link for the page supporting Ms Smith is https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/help4mel