Fuel tanker crash south of Rotorua: Mum misses fatal crash by minutes

Pulling over for a moment may have saved a Rotorua mum’s life after she just missed a fatal fuel tanker crash this morning.

One person died after the tanker rolled on State Highway 5, closing the road south of Rotorua just after 2am.

Later this morning, a “scary” realisation hit Nicole Mear.

“Oh my goodness, [my baby] could have been an orphan,” she said.

Mear was driving home from Ngakuru after dropping off her daughter, when she pulled over to switch driving with her friend in the passenger seat.

It was 2am, and she said the darkness on the rural road made it “hard to see”, with “no cat’s eyes” or “sticks” on the road to guide her.

Resuming their journey, they turned onto SH5 from Tumunui Rd and spotted a motorist flashing their lights.

The motorist warned them to “watch out”, a petrol tanker had rolled around the corner.

Mear recalled having seen the same tanker drive past just a “few moments before”.

She said the “strong smell” of fuel hit them first, followed by the “wet”, “shining” road and the tanker, sprawled on its side, its “belly looking at us”.

Cordon at the intersection of SH5 and Waipa State Mill Rd south of Rotorua after a fatal crash this morning. Photo / Ben Fraser

Human instinct told Mear she should stop, but she said, “I had my baby at home”, and feared the truck might “explode”.

They passed the truck. On the opposite side of the road, another truck was coming towards Mear, with “red lights approaching behind”.

Fire and police services “shot past us”, Mear said.

“If we hadn’t stopped on the side of the road, we [too] could have [been] caught up in the accident,” she said.

Around 5am, Mear posted on a local Facebook page to alert people of the incident and to say the road would likely be closed for some time.

At that point, she did not yet know that the tanker driver had died.

When she got home she gave her baby “lots of cuddles”, thankful to have avoided a more tragic fate.

The highway remained closed early Friday afternoon with diversions in place.

Police said this morning: “The Serious Crash Unit is examining the scene and contractors will be clearing debris and spilt fuel across the highway.”

“Motorists should factor extra time in their journey when using the diversion.”

A Fire and Emergency NZ spokeswoman said seven trucks were called to a crash just after 2am.

Significant amount of diesel released into drain

A Bay of Plenty Regional Council spokeswoman said the tanker’s fuel tank was punctured and a significant amount of diesel had been released into a drain which led to the Kauaka Stream.

She said the odour was “very noticeable”.

“Staff have now carried out an investigation downstream of the incident.

“A sheen was observed on the Puarenga Stream, 3-4km downstream of the site in the Waipa Mill Rd area,” the spokeswoman said.

“No sheen was observed on the Puarenga Stream, near the Whakarewarewa area. There is no diesel being discharged to water.”

The spokeswoman said absorbent material had been spread around the site of the crash to reduce the risk of further diesel spreading on land.

“A road sweeper truck will later clean this up. A sucker truck is also on route to suck up any remaining discharge to land.

“Fire and Emergency New Zealand are still overseeing the site, and our focus is on reducing impact to the environment.

“Our staff will remain on site until we are no longer needed.”

Annabel Reid is a multimedia journalist for the Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post, based in Rotorua. Originally from Hawke’s Bay, she has a Bachelor of Communications from the University of Canterbury.