Car crashes into Napier stream: Lucky weekend dip drags on

A car which was left in a cross-town for more than two-and-a-half days after a crash at the weekend has been removed, alleviating fears for pollution in the waterway.

The Holden Commodore at rest in Napier’s Georges Drive Drain on Monday afternoon, two and a half days after its driver left Alpers Terrace and crashed into the stream early on Saturday morning.

A salvage crew removed the vehicle from the Georges Drive Drain late on Monday afternoon.

The crash was reported about 1am on Saturday, with police telling Hawke’s Bay Today suggestions there had been a “fleeing driver” incident were incorrect, although the driver left the scene after the crash.

A person reported to be the driver returned “some time” later, and police said inquiries were continuing to establish the circumstances of the crash.

Marks on the road indicated the driver lost control of the vehicle while rounding a bend on Alpers Tce, heading towards Taradale Rd. Mark on the road show the car snaked across the road, and then careened across the grass reserve, went to the left of a tree and dropped into the water.

One Alpers Tce resident said: “I don’t know why people can’t negotiate that bend.”

Logan Ave resident John Meehan, who had called both the Napier city and Hawke’s Bay regional councils regarding the vehicle, said he was worried about the risk of pollution, with the car having been in the water for more than two days.

Meehan saw people return to the vehicle on Monday morning, with one person entering it to open the bonnet, which was then lifted to remove a battery.

There were other signs of looting, including the vehicle’s doors having been left open overnight, a car jack being smashed through the rear window, and the disappearance of its rear number plate.