Crash cyclist freed with airbags

The woman was taken to hospital with a broken leg after the incident in central Hamilton. Photo / APNZ

A cyclist who became wedged under a car after a collision in central Hamilton had to be prised from under the vehicle by firefighters using airbags.

The woman and the hatchback car collided at the central city intersection of Boundary Rd and Oakley Ave about 8.45am yesterday.

It is understood the male motorist drove over the 27-year-old cyclist with the front left wheel of his car as she approached him on the inside.

"Because she was pinned underneath the vehicle and was trapped by the pedal and underneath the car, we had to use airbags to lift the car off her safely, then remove her from underneath the vehicle," Station Officer David O'Donnell of Chartwell said.

The woman was in "quite a bit of pain" while she was pinned under the car so St John ambulance staff gave her pain relief before she was extracted, he said.

Mr O'Donnell said the driver was in shock after the accident.

"He was quite shaken, actually. He was in a bit of shock ... You don't expect these sorts of things. I don't know if he even saw her."

Senior Sergeant Gillian Meadows said the woman was taken to hospital with a broken leg.

"From my understanding it was standard traffic congestion and it occurred at that intersection," she said.

"At the moment they're still investigating who was in the wrong."

Cycling Advocates' Network spokesman Patrick Morgan said both cyclists and motorists needed to be aware to avoid crashes such as yesterday's.

"The problem is not idiot cyclists or idiot drivers - the problem is idiots. This is not a cyclists-versus-cars thing, we're all sharing the same road."

Cyclists should take extra care at intersections because that is where more than half of cycle crashes happen, Mr Morgan said. They must be clear about their intentions, clear with hand signals and eye-contact and use good lights at night.

He also offered tips for drivers to help decrease their chances of hitting a cyclist. These included being aware of people on bicycles - especially in low light and at intersections - and looking before opening car doors.

"More than a million and a half people in New Zealand ride bikes, so it's a pretty popular way to get around and is pretty much an everyday thing these days."

- additional reporting: APNZ