Western Bay of Plenty's grisly toll: 5 fatal crashes in 43 days

Flowers left near the scene where John Riki Paul, 66, of Tauranga died on July 22, after his truck crashed into the Ruahihi Canal.

Five people killed on Western Bay of Plenty roads within 43 days.

It's a grisly statistic that has prompted the region's top traffic cop to say: "We are sick of picking up dead people off our roads."

Katikati man William Laurence Hill Williamson, 66, is the latest in a string of crash victims to be killed this year. Williamson, 66, died in a collision involving a car and a truck on Main Rd, Katikati, on August 26.
Police said initial indications were Williamson may have died as a result of a medical event but inquiries were ongoing.

Williamson's death came three days after Tauranga father Selesele Vaetasi Mati Asiata, 36, a passenger in a seven-seater van, died in a crash on State Highway 2 near the Sandhurst Dr onramp.

Asiata, who had been working in New Zealand for three years, was due to return to Samoa on August 28 along with other seasonal workers.

Two other occupants of the van suffered moderate to serious injuries and were taken to Tauranga Hospital.

A man has been charged in relation to the crash in which Asiata died.

Of the 13 road deaths on Western Bay roads so far this year, five of the crashes happened between July 14 and August 26.

In 2019, 15 people died in 13 road crashes on Western Bay roads.

Western Bay of Plenty road policing manager Senior Sergeant Rob Glencross is pleading with motorists to take extreme care, particularly in wet conditions.

Vaetasi Asiata, a seasonal worker from Samoa, was due to return to the island nation on August 28. Photo / Facebook

Glencross said every road death was a tragedy, particularly when almost all of the road fatalities in his police district this year were preventable.

"We are sick of picking up dead people off our roads," he said.

Glencross urged other road users to show respect when travelling through crash scenes after Facebook messages stated several people were seen parked up on Truman Ln taking photographs of the crash scene.

Glencross said while there had been no formal complaints to police, if these Facebook
comments were correct it was not behaviour he condoned.

"We are asking people to show a bit of respect and some humanity for crash victims' families and the others involved in the crash. How would people feel if it was one of their relatives or a friend involved in the crash?

"It's not unusual for rubberneckers to add to the carnage by running up the back of another vehicle, which means police have to be diverted to that crash as well."

Glencross said people needed to ensure they always drove to the conditions, including reducing their speed in the wet, putting away cellphones, and focusing on their driving.

In general, Tauranga motorists' driving behaviour was "below average", he said.

"We need people to improve their behaviour, this includes complying with traffic signals, watching following distances and to stop texting when behind the wheel.

"Also people driving at 100km/h or more when the conditions are very wet is just crazy. That might be the signposted speed but safe drivers always reduce their speed.

"People who don't follow all these safety rules are putting themselves and other road users at huge risk."

Glencross said the large number of crashes resulting in deaths or serious injuries highlighted why people need to heed these safety messages.

Inquiries are ongoing into a crash which caused the death of a motorcyclist on Landlyst Rd in Waihi on August 30.