Waikato Police investigating a fatal crash involving a Highway Patrol vehicle and a motorcycle east of Te Kauwhata yesterday afternoon are appealing for witnesses to come forward.
District Road Policing Manager, Inspector Leo Tooman, said 38-year-old Te Kauwhata man, Paul Adam Timothy BROWN, lost his life when the Kawasaki road bike he was riding collided with a turning Highway Patrol car on Waerenga rd, east of Te Kauwhata.
"About 4.15pm the officer and a civilian in the patrol car heading east encountered a utility vehicle heading towards them at a speed of about 154km/h.
"The officer activated his lights and sirens and moved his vehicle to the left intending to carry out a turning manoeuvre to follow the speeding vehicle, partway through this Mr BROWN has come over the brow of a hill and encountered the patrol car partway across his lane and collided with it."
Mr Tooman said a number of investigations were now underway and it was important for those enquiries to have all available information to hand.
"To that end we would ask the driver of the utility vehicle to come forward and anyone else in the area that may have seen what happened or who saw the motorbike travelling towards Te Kauwhata before the crash.
"We want to be able to carry out a comprehensive, accurate investigation to help bring this tragic event to a close for Mr BROWN'S family and for the reassurance of both the public and indeed our own staff," said Mr Tooman.