Crash leaves Rotorua man with life threatening injuries

Traffic built up on Ngongotaha Rd after a crash this morning. Photo/Ben Fraser

A 30-year-old Rotorua man has life-threatening head injuries after a crash this morning.

The motorcyclist and another vehicle collided on Ngongotaha Rd about 5.45am.

St John Lakes area territorial manager Hilary MorrishAllen said the man was taken to Rotorua Hospital with life threatening injuries. She said they were mainly head injuries.

He was the only patient treated at the scene.

Senior Sergeant Mike Membery said police were still investigating the cause of the crash.

The area where the crash happened, between Kokiri St and Western Rd, has a 50km/h speed limit.

Mr Membery said the road was closed until about 8.30am while police carried out scene investigations.

Christine Roberts, employee at Express Bakehouse, said it took a long time for traffic to clear.

"They redirected traffic up Western Rd and it backed all the way to past the Gull. It's only just cleared now [8.45am], I started work about 6am so that would make it about two hours.

"I thought it was a truck crash... I saw the truck crashed into the pole, I didn't see it actually happen, but I saw it sitting there with its hazard lights on. And I didn't know a bike was involved until one of the customers came in a told me."