Person killed in Kaimai crash named as Tauranga man Paul Butcher

Traffic was backed up for kilometres after a fatal crash in the Kaimai Range yesterday. Police have now named the victim as a Tauranga man. Photo / George Novak

The man killed in a crash near the Kaimai Summit yesterday has been identified as a Tauranga man.

Police have named the man as Paul Garratt Butcher, 58, from Pyes Pa.

The crash happened on State Highway 29 near the summit of the Kaimai Range, about a kilometre on the Tauranga side.

A police media spokeswoman said the circumstances of the crash were yet to be determined by the Serious Crash Unit investigation, but a motorcyclist had been travelling towards Tauranga when it was in collision with a car.

The crash prompted the closure of SH29 for more than four hours. Two others injured in the incident were taken to Waikato Hospital in moderate conditions.

Firefighters from Matamata helped police at the scene.

Traffic from Tauranga banked up to the Ruahihi power station and vehicles were being turned around.

The New Zealand Transport Agency advised motorists of a detour via SH28, SH5, and SH36. The westbound detour is SH36, SH5, and SH28.

SH29 LOWER KAIMAI - SERIOUS CRASH - 6:45PM UPDATE This road remains CLOSED. There will be no further updates to this...

Posted by Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency Waikato BoP on Saturday, 19 May 2018