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Home / New Zealand

Police forensics examining vehicle believed to be involved in serious crash in Rotorua, injuring four

Cira Olivier
By Cira Olivier
Multimedia Journalist, Bay of Plenty Times·Rotorua Daily Post·
22 Sep, 2023 02:15 AM2 mins to read

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Scene of a crash on Fairy Springs Rd in Rotorua.

Police are forensically examining a vehicle of interest involved in the serious crash in Rotorua on Wednesday night.

Police were called to the two-vehicle crash on Fairy Springs Rd in Rotorua on Wednesday about 10.54pm. Four people were injured in the crash, one critically.

The car crashed through a resident’s neighbour’s fence, then his, before his own parked car was also written off, and the vehicle landed on its roof just outside his bedroom window.

Bay of Plenty police Detective Sergeant Richard Lang said today that police recovered a vehicle of interest which is in the process of being forensically examined.

However, he said it was still working to identify all those involved.

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“We are still seeking to establish the circumstances leading up to and during the crash.”

Scene of the crash at a Fairy Springs Rd address on Wednesday night.
Scene of the crash at a Fairy Springs Rd address on Wednesday night.

He said police were limited in what they could say at this time as it was under investigation.

Anyone with information or video footage that could be relevant is asked to contact Police via 105 quoting file number 230921/7523.

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Yesterday, a police spokeswoman said police were “in the early stages of investigating this crash and working to determine what occurred, including whether a firearm was involved”.

Initial indications suggest one driver drove the other off the road, she said.

She said staff were working to identify those involved and locate the vehicles.

No arrests have been made.

She said police would not release CCTV footage of the crash because the investigation was ongoing.

Fairy Springs Rd resident Ethen Draper woke up to his wife “screaming” after the crash, and believed if the car rolled just one more time, “it would have killed us”.

Ethen Draper with his car which was hit during a crash on Fairy Springs road. Photo / Andrew Warner
Ethen Draper with his car which was hit during a crash on Fairy Springs road. Photo / Andrew Warner

Draper said the car came crashing through his neighbour’s fence, then his, before his car was also “taken out”.

The vehicle that crashed into his car then landed on its roof and stopped just short of his bedroom.

He was later told the car rolled eight times before coming to a stop near his window.

“I woke up to my wife screaming, and hurt people screaming.”

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His own car was also written off in the crash, but he was grateful that the car missed their house with the family of seven asleep inside.

Fairy Springs Rd residents clean up after the crash.  Photo / Andrew Warner
Fairy Springs Rd residents clean up after the crash. Photo / Andrew Warner
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