Van crash takes long weekend road toll to six

Police photograph the scene of yesterday afternoon's crash near Waihi in which one person was killed and seven others injured. Photo / Alan Gibson

One person was killed and another critically injured when a van carrying eight people crashed off SH2 at Waihi late yesterday afternoon.

The death increased the holiday weekend road toll to six - two more than over last year's Labour weekend.

As thousands of holidaymakers returned home, emergency services were called to the crash near Woodland Rd about 5.30pm.

Waikato road policing manager, Inspector Leo Tooman, said the van failed to take a corner. He said it is believed the man who died was not wearing a seatbelt.

Two of the eight people in the vehicle were critically injured.

A man from Saudi Arabia, aged 24, died at the scene after being thrown from the van and suffering fatal head injuries.

The other seven were taken by helicopter to Tauranga Hospital.

"Once again we find ourselves reflecting on the needless loss of someone thrown from a vehicle while not restrained.

"Once again we implore people to take the three seconds to make it click. Your chances of surviving a crash are far better if you remain in the vehicle restrained than if you're thrown out of it as it rolls because you weren't wearing a seatbelt," Mr Tooman said.

Thousands of holidaymakers were caught in a jam as traffic was diverted from SH2 on to Woodland Rd and Old Tauranga Rd.

Earlier yesterday, in Wellington, friends and relatives of a woman watched helplessly as she ran to catch a bus and was dragged underneath it and killed.

The 42-year-old from Hamilton was trying to board a Newmans coach to Auckland from Lyttelton Ave in Porirua about 8.25am.

"It appears that the bus had moved off and as it was pulling out into traffic she tried to go alongside the bus and step up and, unfortunately, went under the front wheel," said Sergeant Ron Walker of Porirua police.

The woman died instantly, he said.

Mr Walker said there were 20 people on board and a number of others waiting at the bus stop.

The driver, friends and relatives of the woman, and other witnesses, were counselled by Victim Support after the accident, he said.

The road between Walton Leigh Ave and Parumoana St was cordoned off while emergency services cleared the scene and investigated.

A motorcyclist who died near Greymouth on Sunday has been named as Matthew Edward Carpinter, 31, of Kaiapoi in Canterbury.

Mr Carpinter was travelling with a group on SH6 when he crashed into a bridge at Coal Creek.

Police said speed might have been a factor.

Also on Sunday, a middle-aged man and a toddler were critically injured when a car was shunted from behind, moving it into the path of a motorcycle near Huntly.

The 3-year-old boy was last night in a critical condition in the Starship hospital in Auckland and the 52-year-old Waiuku man was in a serious but stable condition in Waikato Hospital's high-dependency unit after undergoing surgery.

Mr Tooman said it was only due to excellent work by ambulance and medical staff at Waikato Hospital that the holiday weekend road toll wasn't worse.

"With the weather being pretty good speeds have risen all while people have been burning the candle at both ends over the weekend.

"When that happens people are tired, nerves are frayed and driver attention levels drop. What we're asking over this summer is for people to plan their trips and drive to survive," Mr Tooman said.

About 9.30am on Sunday, three people were hurt - one critically - when their car spun out into the path of a truck in a high-speed crash near Paeroa.

A 42-year-old Te Puke man was last night in a serious condition in the Waikato Hospital intensive care unit and a 15-year-old Tauranga girl was stable in a ward. Another 15-year-old girl was discharged from Thames Hospital overnight.

Police have also named the youth killed when a four-wheel-drive rolled into a river off the Maungatapu Track in Nelson's Maitai Valley on Sunday evening, injuring two others. He was Tod Woodman, 16, of Richmond.

Emergency services were alerted to the crash by one of the vehicle's occupants, who ran from the scene to get help.

On Saturday, two women were killed in a head-on crash when a car crossed the centre line on SH1 at Five Mile Bay near Taupo.

The car collided with a four-wheel-drive vehicle and its 79-year-old driver died at the scene.

A 53-year-old passenger in the four-wheel-drive was taken to Taupo Hospital and died shortly after.

The driver escaped with minor injuries.