He posted on social media that his son-in-law suffered “massive seatbelt bruises and a fractured pelvis” while his grandson suffered “a huge bruise on his forehead, a bloody nose and nasty seatbelt bruises”.
Craw said he was grateful for the seatbelts and the “best child seat you can get.
“We are so lucky. Thanks to wonderful work by police, fire and ambulance officers.”
Police serious crash investigator Senior Constable Jeff Cramp said a car heading east along Ngunguru Rd near Rockingham Rd, pulled out to pass a Nissan and “failed to see an oncoming car coming west.
“There was a head-on crash, and the sole female driver of the car doing the overtaking died.”
Cramp said the woman was believed to be from Whangārei and was on her way to work.
The road was straight but there was a “dip” at the end, and there were double no-passing lines, he said.
“Everyone was wearing seatbelts including the driver who died. All airbags were activated.
“Lessons to be learned are just because you drive a road on a regular basis... complacency can lead to an absolute disaster.
“Complacency is trouble. Never take anything for granted, just try and stick to the rules of the road.”
The road was closed while emergency services were at the scene and has since been reopened.
The fatal car crash comes after a 31-year-old Tikipunga woman was killed after her car crashed through a fence on Whareora Rd near A H Reed Memorial Park and landed in a creek on July 14.
She was not wearing a seatbelt.
Northland’s road death toll is now 25 for this year.
Jenny Ling is a news reporter and features writer for the Northern Advocate. She has a special interest in covering roading, health, business and animal welfare issues.
