Man dies after car flips north of Pukerua Bay

Traffic backed up behind the rolled vehicle. Photo / Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency.

A man has died after his car flipped north of Pukerua Bay this morning.

Emergency services rushed to the crash on State Highway 59 at around 11am on Monday but police confirmed the man died at the scene.

The road was closed for several hours, but has since reopened and some traffic delays are expected.

A police spokesperson told the Herald they received reports of the single-vehicle crash on State Highway 59 at 10.38am on Monday.

FINAL UPDATE 1:40PM
SH59 Pukerua Bay to Paekakariki is now fully OPEN. Thank you for being patient, have a good day. ^LZ https://t.co/48KMChs5PR

— Waka Kotahi NZTA Wellington (@WakaKotahiWgtn) January 31, 2022

A witness to the crash told the Herald the accident looked "pretty bad".

"A car has hit the bank and is on its roof ... it looked like people were stuck inside and construction workers nearby were trying to break the windows to get them out."

A second witness said the car was on its side with a man trapped inside as first responders tried to get him out.

"They've said the road will be closed for several hours."

SH59 PUKERUA BAY - CAR ROLL - 10:55AM, MON 31 JAN
Due to a car roll, the southbound traffic is now BLOCKED north of Onepu Rd. Please plan your journey accordingly & avoid this area if possible. An update will be provided when the road status has changed. ^LZ pic.twitter.com/3lkdk7jgqq

— Waka Kotahi NZTA Wellington (@WakaKotahiWgtn) January 30, 2022

A police spokesperson confirmed this, saying it was expected the road would be closed "for some time".

A Wellington Free Ambulance spokesperson told the Herald they attended the crash, but had no further information, referring the Herald to police.