A Tauranga couple filmed a car veering into oncoming traffic between Waihī and Katikati on Saturday.
A Tauranga woman says she is “amazed” no one was killed after witnessing a vehicle veering across the centreline multiple times on State Highway 2, including on blind corners.
Grace Van Dijk said she and her partner were driving back to Tauranga from Whangamatā shortly after 6.40pm on Saturday. Shortly after arriving in Waihi, they saw a white car in front of them trying to get a yellow car to pull over.
“The occupants of the white car were constantly beeping at the [yellow car] which was veering all over the road and I was honestly waiting for the driver to crash.”
Van Dijk told the Bay of Plenty Times she and her partner, who was driving, followed both vehicles for five to 10 minutes until the white car pulled off the highway and they were directly behind the yellow car.
“[We] followed it along on SH2 for about 25 to 30 minutes until the driver eventually turned on to Mulgan St in Katikati. That’s an estimated 25.2km,” she said.
“We beeped at the driver multiple times to stop and vehicles behind us were also tooting. But the driver just carried on …and continued to veer all over the road including on blind corners.
“It was bloody scary and I even pulled on the handbrake slightly in case there was a crash.”
Video she shot from the passenger seat shows the yellow vehicle drifting almost entirely into the wrong lane. Oncoming drivers take evasive action and the yellow vehicle jerks back into its lane.
Van Dijk said she was “amazed” no one died that day.
A still from footage of a car on the wrong side of the road heading into oncoming traffic in the Bay of Plenty.
She said once the yellow car’s driver pulled off the highway she and her partner yelled “you’re a bloody idiot” but the driver just looked back at them.
“We were all trying to get home safely and no one wanted to die on the way home.”
Van Dijk said the incident left her badly shaken and angry.
“It’s only sheer luck our grim road toll wasn’t added to that day.”
She said it was a hot day and her advice to other drivers was that if they felt fatigued or sleepy they should pull over and have a rest break.
Van Dijk said she called 111 and reported the incident to police.
Western Bay of Plenty road policing manager Senior Sergeant Wayne Hunter. Photo / Alex Cairns
Western Bay of Plenty road policing manager Senior Sergeant Wayne Hunter said police received multiple 111 calls about the yellow vehicle before they stopped the driver in the Athenree Gorge.
“We’re making further inquiries to help determine what charges may be required.
“I want to thank all the people who rang us up as it potentially helped stop a fatal crash.”
Sandra Conchie is a senior journalist at the Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post who has been a journalist for 24 years. She mainly covers police, court and other justice stories, as well as general news. She has been a Canon Media Awards regional/community reporter of the year.
