Caution urged after 10 crashes overnight

Waikato police are urging motorists to slow down. Photo / File

Waikato police are urging motorists to slow down after attending 10 crashes overnight.

District road policing manager, Inspector Freda Grace said two of the biggest crashes, between 4.30pm yesterday and 7.30am today, involved trucks.

"Just before 6am emergency services were called to a crash on SH39/Ormsby Rd at Puketotara, between Pirongia and Otorohanga, where a southbound LPG tanker has left the road and come to rest in ditch.

"The truck ended up facing north part way in the southbound lane, there were no injuries suffered in the crash and there has been no fuel leak and the road is open but may have to be closed for a few hours to recover the tanker."

On the other side of the district emergency services were currently working to recover a truck and trailer unit that crashed, closing SH25 between Waihi and Whangamata about 6.30am.

"SH25 at this point is closed and expected to be so for some time. A heavy salvage vehicle is on its way from Tauranga however the road is expected to be closed for several hours and alternative routes are via the Kopu-Hikuai Rd/SH25A.

"Again, no one was injured in this crash however the driver has been described as being quite shaken."

A short time later emergency services were called to another vehicle crash, on Horsham Downs Rd north of Hamilton, where a Holden Commodore crashed about 7.05am in wet conditions.

"Fortunately there were no injuries in this crash either but oil has spilt on the road raising concerns for traction on the road and the polluting of waterways."

Mrs Grace said though each crash was injury-free, each was complex to manage in its own right and time consuming for a number of agencies working to contain and mitigate the risks.

"At this point in time, with further rain forecast can we ask people to drop their speed, turn on their lights and remember the sign of a red circle with a number in the middle is a speed limit - not a target.

"We're asking people to drive to survive these school holidays."