Please attribute to Superintendent Shanan Gray, Counties Manukau District Commander:
A motorcyclist has died following a crash on the Southern Motorway near Ōtara on Thursday night.
At the time, a Police motorways unit was carrying out radar speed detection on southbound lanes of State Highway 1 near Mt Wellington.
At around 11.15pm, the unit has detected a motorcycle travelling south at high speed.
Police signaled it to stop, however it continued travelling at high speed.
The unit has not pursued the motorcycle and came to a stop at the side of the motorway.
A short time later, the unit moved off and continued travelling south when it has been flagged down by the driver of an attenuator truck, after the motorcycle had collided into the rear of his vehicle just north of the East Tamaki Road off-ramp.
Sadly, the male rider has sustained fatal injuries and died at the scene.
A full closure of southbound lanes of State Highway 1 was put in place and traffic was diverted off the motorway.
Overnight, a scene examination was carried out and the man’s body has been removed.
The lanes reopened shortly before 5am.
Support is being put in place for our officers who were working last night.
An investigation is now underway into the fatal crash, and as standard procedure the Independent Police Conduct Authority will be notified of the incident.
Formal identification procedures will need to be carried out and support will be put in place for the man’s next of kin.
ENDS.
Jarred Williamson/NZ Police