KEY POINTS:
A female pedestrian was killed when she was hit by a bus during a spate of serious accidents which kept Auckland emergency services busy yesterday.
The North Shore woman was trying to cross Wairau Rd just before 8.30am.
Serious crash investigator Sergeant Constable Gary Abbott said it seemed
the woman, who was believed to have been 60, stepped out from behind a car and into the bus lane in the middle of the road, outside Westlake Girls High School.
An approaching Ritchies bus tried to avoid her by swerving on to the wrong side of the road, but the woman was hit and apparently run over.
She died at the scene.
The bus passengers included students on their way to school. Police say no one on board was hurt.
Westlake students Andrea and Angela, who were on the bus, said they heard the impact but did not realise what had happened.
"It sounded like there was a tyre exploding," said Angela. "We thought it was just a car so we were shaken to find out it was a person."
Passengers were taken into Westlake Girls and the busy road was closed while police investigated.
Westlake principal Alison Gernhoefer said the school gave witnesses hot drinks while emergency services cleared the scene and took statements.
Students were offered guidance counselling and Victim Support if needed. Some chose to go home, Mrs Gernhoefer said.
Ritchies director John Ritchie said the bus driver would be given counselling. An assessment on when he would start driving again would be made once more information about what happened was available.
* BAD DAY
At 5.42am the driver of a Toyota Rav 4 crashed into a house in Ferguson Rd, Otara. The driver, believed to be a woman, was taken to Middlemore Hospital in a serious condition.
Less than an hour later, an elderly male cyclist and a car collided on Coronation Rd in Mangere. The man, who was not wearing a helmet, was taken to Middlemore Hospital in a moderate condition.
Another male cyclist collided with a car on Grafton Bridge in the central city just before 9am. The cyclist, who was believed to be in his 60s, was taken to Auckland City Hospital with serious injuries.
About the same time traffic on the Auckland Harbour Bridge came to a standstill when up to seven cars collided in the southbound lane. No one was seriously hurt.
A 6-year-old was hit by a car in West Auckland about 4pm and was taken to hospital with serious injuries. Police last night closed part of Pooks Rd while the serious crash unit investigated.
