Fatal crash in Matapouri caused by ute driver failing to see motorcyclist

A fatal crash between a motorcycle and ute was caused by the ute driver's failure to see the motorcyclist as he pulled out of a driveway.

The motorcyclist, Christopher Haverkort, was killed in the collision on Matapouri Rd early on Sunday afternoon. Haverkort, 65, was from Whangārei, police said.

Senior Constable Jeff Cramp, of the Police Serious Crash Unit, said the crash happened after the driver of the Holden ute, who was also in his 60s, turned left onto the road.

"The Holden has come out of his driveway and not seen the motorcycle coming from his right."

There were two motorcyclists on the road, Haverkort and his brother, out for a ride together, with Haverkort in the lead.

Visibility on the road was a potential issue, with flax and other vegetation on the roadside making it difficult to see, Cramp said.

Visibility studies were underway, he added, to determine if this was the reason the driver did not see the motorcyclist.

One man died after the collision between a ute and a motorcycle in Matapouri. Photo / NZME

Both motorcyclists were wearing helmets and were experienced riders, Cramp said.

"There was no alcohol. I'm still investigating in regard to speed but I don't believe speed was involved."

The crash was reported to police just after 12.30pm on Sunday, and was initially reported as a collision between a truck and a motorcycle.

The road was closed for several hours while emergency services and the serious crash unit attended the scene.

A St John spokesperson said on Sunday they responded with two ambulances, and assessed and treated one patient at the scene.

At about 5.30pm police confirmed the motorcyclist had died. His death brings Northland's road toll for the year to 16.

The last fatal crash in the region was just over a week ago, on June 25, when another motorcyclist, 64-year-old Baden Brown of Auckland, was killed on SH15 at Nukutawhiti.

It was the fourth fatal crash in Northland that week, after collisions in Taipa, Kaitāia and Ōkaihau.