Police collect evidence from the scene of the fatal motorbike crash north of Whangarei. Photo / John Stone
Police collect evidence from the scene of the fatal motorbike crash north of Whangarei. Photo / John Stone
A man who died after falling from his motorbike north of Whangarei was run over by a following rider on a Harley Davidson as he lay in the middle of the road.
The man, in his early 20s, died when he fell from his Husqvarna motorbike on State Highway 1near Kauri, north of Whangarei.
He was lying in the middle of the road when he was run over by a following rider on a Harley Davidson motorbike about 4am yesterday.
The man was not wearing a helmet or protective clothing and the trail bike he was riding had no lights when he crashed, police said.
Senior Constable Warren Bunn, also part of the serious crash investigation team, said the Harley Davidson rider stopped a short distance away and rang for police help.
Two bikes taken by police from the scene of the 4am crash on State Highway 1 near Kauri, north of Whangarei. Police are appealing for witnesses to come forward.
Other motorists also stopped and parked with their hazard lights on. The state highway was blocked off and traffic diverted through Saleyards Rd until just after midday.
Police were unsure how long the man had been lying on the road before he was hit by the south-bound Harley Davidson or whether he had been struck by another vehicle causing him to fall from his bike. The two motorcyclists were not travelling together.
Mr Bunn had been to the scene and was appealing for help from the public.
"The rider of the trail bike has fallen off for some unknown reason," Mr Bunn said.
He wanted motorists who may have seen him riding prior to the fall or witnessed the crash to come forward. It's believed two drivers of fully laden logging trucks heading south were seen to swerve to miss something on the road and police would like to speak to them. He wanted motorists who may have seen him riding prior to the fall or witnessed the crash to come forward. The death brings Northland's road toll to five this year.
The accident was the second fatal crash involving a motorbike in about 12 hours after a teenager, who was wearing all the appropriate safety gear, died while riding in sand dunes in the Far North on Sunday afternoon.
Regan Grbic, 18, died after he lost control of his motorcycle in sand dunes behind Tokerau Beach on Sunday afternoon.
His death has been referred to the coroner.
The teenager, one of a number of riders, had been airborne for some distance before landing badly, a police spokesman said. He suffered what were believed to be major internal injuries.
Northland Electricity Rescue Helicopter paramedics spent about an hour trying to stabilise Mr Grbic before flying him to Whangarei Hospital, where he died shortly after arrival. The spokesman added that he had been wearing "all the gear", including a helmet.
The Whangarei Motorcycle Club has paid tribute to Mr Grbic, describing him as a "wonderful young man" on the club's Facebook page.
"It is an honour to Whangarei Motorcycle Club to have had Regan as a member. He was known and loved by all his motocross brothers. He was an awesome guy, kind and generous. He will be terribly missed. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Linda and Mike and all his family. RIP (Ride in Paradise) Regan."
- Anyone with information on the Kauri crash should contact Warren Bunn at Whangarei police station on 09 430 4500.
