Desperate efforts to save Bethlehem motorbike crash victim

39-year-old Emma Claire Meredith of Te Aroha died in a crash at Bethlehem Town Centre on Monday. SNPA / Cameron Avery

A teenager desperately tried to help save the life of a woman who died in a motorbike crash in the Bethlehem Town Centre.

Police said yesterday the crash victim was 39-year-old Emma Claire Meredith of Te Aroha.

Meredith was a pillion passenger on a motorbike which was involved in a collision with another motorcycle outside The Coffee Club on Monday about 5.50pm.

She suffered a fatal head injury, and two other riders, one from each motorcycle, were treated for minor to moderate injuries, police earlier said.

Hannah Hockly, 18, , a trainee teacher and part-time worker at The Coffee Club, said she was one of those who tried to save her.

Hockly told the Bay of Plenty Times she heard a loud bang and when she looked outside, she saw a woman lying prone on the ground.

"I was one of the first probably three people on the scene and it was clear she was in a very bad way as the woman was unconscious and unresponsive."

Hockly said she phoned for an ambulance but could not immediately get through.

"So I rang my mum, who is a nurse, in a panic, to ask her what we could do, and she told me to buy a defibrillator which could be used to restart her heart.

"I absolutely sprinted to Countdown supermarket and back to get one. I have never run so fast in all my life.

"By the time I got back a male doctor from Tauranga Hospital in civilian clothes was performing compressions on the woman, so I handed him the defibrillator."

Hockly said the doctor was also yelling out for people to move away and for someone to the stop cars coming through and another man jumped in do so until police arrived.

Despite the efforts to revive the woman, she died at the scene, possibly instantly.

"It's a real tragedy as lots of people were desperately trying to sustain her life."

Hockly said learning of woman's death left her in "quite a bit of shock". She was badly shaken and said struggled to walk properly after the adrenalin rush from trying to save Meredith.

"Ultimately it's a huge tragedy and very sad, especially for something like this to happen just before Christmas, and my thoughts are with this lady's family," she said.

The Bay of Plenty Times sought comment from Bethlehem Town Centre's management.

In a written statement, Richard James, Colliers International's national director real estate management said: "This is an incredibly tragic event that has taken place and our thoughts are with those involved and their families.

"We will be working closely with the police and any other agencies to establish the events which have taken place. Until such time as we understand those circumstances, we will not be in a position to make further comment."

The Serious Crash Unit is investigating the cause of the crash.