Two survive truck crash (+video)

A police officer was amazed that two people managed to escape with moderate injuries after a car collided with a logging truck yesterday.

Sergeant Chris McLeod said the crash happened at the intersection of Waiotapu Loop Rd and State Highway 5 at about 12.25pm.

He said the two people were initially reported as being trapped. "They are extremely lucky. It was a little car versus a logging truck.

"That's the modern car for you. Modern cars are made to absorb impact and when you look at that you ask, how the hell did they survive it?" Mr McLeod said.

He believed the car had been coming out of the side road controlled by a stop sign and the logging truck clipped the front of the car, which then came to a stop about 30m south of the intersection.

Rotorua Fire senior station officer Richard Anastasi said they had to cut the two people out of the car, and did so quickly.

He said they had moderate injuries and were very lucky.

An ambulance communications spokeswoman said the two people were taken to Rotorua Hospital's emergency department.

Rohit Bharti, manager of Waiotapu Tavern, said he saw the car spin around from inside.
"Since I have been here there have been so many accidents and they have put a stop sign up, but nothing is being done about the speed," he said.

"There is not a single day without at least five honks and close calls," he said.

In 2015, the New Zealand Transport Agency invested about $400,000 to improve safety on SH5 near Waiotapu.

The work, completed last April, involved installing left-turn deceleration lanes to help drivers identify where they needed to turn and to be able do so without impeding through traffic.

Street lighting was also improved.