Police investigating Coromandel crash after car careens down bank

The car had careened more than 10 metres down a bank.

Police are still investigating an incident in which a car careened more than 10 metres down a bank in the Coromandel two weeks ago.

Police said they were aware of the vehicle on State Highway 25, near Ōpoutere, but a crash had not been reported. Fire and Emergency NZ (FENZ) confirmed there was no one at the scene when they arrived.

A police spokesperson said they were still trying to establish what happened, “but my assumption is nobody was seriously injured”.

Fire and Emergency Whangamatā Volunteer Fire Brigade chief fire officer Nigel Airey confirmed he attended the incident, about a fortnight ago, either on a Friday or Saturday evening, and any occupants that may have been in the vehicle had left the scene.

Fenz taped the area off, he said.

“We made sure no one had been in the vehicle.”

A number of memorials mark the site where the car went over the bank on State Highway 25.

The bend is known as a trouble spot with police confirming improvements had been made to the area in 2019.

It was also confirmed there were two fatalities at the location in 2006 and one other fatal crash at the same spot, where a vehicle went over the bank. Police could not confirm the year that incident occurred.

“That location is now not a particular concern for police; however we do want to reiterate that people should adjust their driving to the conditions, particularly in bad weather conditions,” the police spokesperson said.