08 June 2011
Waikato Police are urging the motoring public not to lose focus following a horror 24 hours on the regions roads, the day after a fatal free holiday weekend.
District Road Policing Manager, Inspector Leo Tooman said of officers attended 13 road crashes in their area and in the worst two one person lost their life and two people were critically injured.
"The first crash yesterday morning saw a Ford utility towing a trailer and carrying a motorbike collided with a Hyundai car on an isolated part of SH4, 50km south of Te Kuiti.
"The male driver of the utility and the female driver of the car both had to be cut from the wreckage of their vehicles by fire-fighters and were airlifted to Waikato Hospital by air and road ambulance suffering serious to critical injuries.
Two dogs from the utility injured in the crash were treated by a vet."
Mr Tooman said SH4 was closed for several hours before reopening around 3pm and the Waikato Serious Crash Unit is investigating the cause of the crash.
But the carnage wasn't over for emergency services who were then called to the scene of a fatal collision between a utility and truck and trailer unit on SH1 south of Cambridge.
"We're currently looking into what, if any, part fatigue played in the crash which happened near the intersection of SH1 and Racecourse Rd about 11pm.
"The crash is also being investigated by the Serious Crash Unit and at this stage Initial indications are a northbound Mitsubishi Triton utility has crossed the centreline into the path of a southbound truck and trailer unit that was travelling south in the right hand passing lane."
Mr Tooman said it appears the driver of the utility may have been coming to the end of a long work day given his clothing and materials found in the car.
"If that proves to be the case fatigue may have played a major factor in what was a crash that occurred on a perfectly straight piece of road.
"That is concerning for us given the number one killer on Waikato roads so far this year has been a loss of concentration by drivers resulting in the crossing over of the centre-line which is what happened overnight."
Last night's crash brings the Waikato Police District's road toll to 27 compared to 25 for the same period last year, the next highest number of fatalities is 13 in the Central Police District.
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