The scene of the fatal crash on State Highway 5 which claimed the life of Hastings woman Aniwaniwa Kenrick. Photo / Antony Alexander
The scene of the fatal crash on State Highway 5 which claimed the life of Hastings woman Aniwaniwa Kenrick. Photo / Antony Alexander
A truck driver who came across a fatal crash on the Napier-Taupo Rd says he pleaded with New Zealand Transport Agency a year ago to fix the blackspot.
NZTA statistics show there have been 352 crashes in five years on Napier-Taupo Rd, with nine killed in that same period.
NZTAsays it's spent $600,000 on safety improvements on the road in the past two years and is investigating what more it can do.
But professional driver Antony Alexander reckons in places, the road's condition is "absolute garbage".
Alexander was driving his truck on the night of March 6 when Hastings woman Aniwaniwa Kenrick, 21, was killed in a two-car collision between Kawaro Roadway and Turangakumu Rd in Te Haroto.
He saw the scene, wet, dark, crowded with people trying to help and devastating. It was one of the places he'd told NZTA in an email was uneven, with potholes and historic "bleeding" that he claims makes it slippery.
The Napier-Taupo road can be dangerous and unforgiving in bad weather. Photo / Antony Alexander
Alexander pulled over, and grabbed his first-aid kit, but could do nothing for her.
Alexander said the crash impacted many people including the family of the deceased, the people in the other car, bystanders, the first responders and himself.
He described the road as "absolute garbage" in places.
"Patches upon patches of undulating surfaces, low grade chip seal which has been worn away to a slippery bare surface which gives absolutely no grip for a car, let alone a truck if something goes wrong.
"As professionals, we know these spots but we sit back in wonder how some people make it home at night.
"I've been trying to get someone from the local NZTA office to come up for a ride one night to see how bad the roads are.
"So far, one of the system managers replied that he would, but never did."
Hastings Mayor Sandra Hazlehurst said she and other regional stakeholders met with NZTA's chairman and chief executive on Tuesday to discuss issues around road connectivity.
"This was a good opportunity for us to discuss our region's concerns and challenges around connecting our communities safely and effectively across Hawke's Bay," Hazlehurst said.
"A clear message came through at yesterday's meeting that NZTA needs to partner closely with councils to ensure they get a community voice in the management of new and existing roading projects," Hazlehurst said.
"The need for a longer term strategy was also agreed to ensure the future needs of the region can be met and opportunities seized as they become available.
"SH5 was discussed and both the NZTA chief executive and chairman along with our local councils and community are all concerned at the number of accidents and fatalities on this road," she said.
The scene of the fatal crash on State Highway 5 which claimed the life of Hastings woman Aniwaniwa Kenrick. Photo / Antony Alexander
The highway was desperately in need of "major improvements" to both its safety and its general condition, Hazlehurst said.
"NZTA has committed to increasing its maintenance of SH5 and they need to look at other multiple improvements to make it safer to drive.
"Parts of the Napier-Taupo Rd are too narrow and unforgiving for the amount of traffic that travels over it, so we look forward to progressing this discussion and the plans to resolve this with NZTA through our Regional Transport Committee."
NZTA regional transport systems manager Oliver Postings told Hawke's Bay Today it would undertake its own investigation on SH5 to explore what short-term improvements could be achieved.
"In addition to our general maintenance programme of resealing and rebuilding roads, the Transport Agency has invested over $20 million in safety improvements on roads throughout Hawke's Bay," Postings said.
"This includes around $600,000 in the last two years for improvements on SH5, such as barriers, rumble strips and line markings.
"These improvements are on top of other improvements made on SH5 over the years, including electronic signage, passing lanes, and other barriers and rumble strips. Safety is our priority and we will continue to develop safety-focused plans for SH5."
