FOUR vehicles left the road while driving the Parapara Rd yesterday and one person was hospitalised when rain turned an 80km-long fuel trail to slick.
Constable Richard Cranswick of Raetihi police said the first report of trouble on SH4 between Raetihi and Wanganui came at 10am.
Light rain on a trail of
diesel fuel had made the road slippery, and a car had left the road.
"From then on cars were wiping out all over the place. There were four crashes and one person was taken to Wanganui Hospital with minor injuries," he said.
"Others got out with minor scratches and one car ended up on its roof.
"Others ended up in ditches on the side of the road."
Transit New Zealand's Wanganui operation was called in with a truck of sand to dump on the slick and restore safe conditions to the road.
Mr Cranswick said it was not yet known who or what had caused the diesel trail, which was estimated to stretch for 80km along the road, but if found the culprit could face charges.
