Crash in central city

No one was seriously injured in this crash at the intersection of Ranolf and Amohau Streets. STEPHEN PARKER

A crash at a busy Rotorua intersection today followed on from a spate of ice-related crashes which kept emergency services busy over the weekend.

Acting Senior Sergeant Pauline Jones said the crash happened at the corner of Ranolf and Amohau St about 2pm. A vehicle making a right turn collided with one going straight through the intersection.

St John Ambulance assessed three people at the scene, all with minor injuries. One was taken to Rotorua Hospital.

One witness, who did not want to be named, said he was behind the station wagon at the lights and thought it was "going to be close" before the two cars collided.

He said passers-by helped control the traffic for about 20 minutes until police arrived.

Meanwhile motorists are being warned to watch out for icy conditions on roads, with frosty conditions expected through the week and a spate of ice-related crashes over the weekend.

Seven crashes on the Mamakus in the space of just two hours are being blamed on frosty conditions, according to Mrs Jones.

She said the road south of the Fitzgerald Glade proved problematic for drivers between 7am and 9.30am on Saturday morning. None of the seven crashes resulted in serious injuries.

With overnight temperatures expected to be 0C or below for the rest of the week, Mrs Jones said drivers needed to use common sense and slow down when driving.

She said people travelling early on cold mornings needed to expect ice. Quieter roads were at more risk of ice because there was more of a chance for ice to settle, she said.