Te Puke crash victim still serious

A woman was taken to Tauranga Hospital after she was struck by the van on a grass verge in Te Puke. The elderly driver of the van was also taken to hospital.

A 29-year-old hitchhiker hit by a van while she stood on a grass verge in Te Puke remains recovering from serious injuries today.

The Tauranga woman was this morning in a 'serious but stable condition' after the crash yesterday, a Tauranga Hospital spokesman said.

The woman was in a critical condition at hospital last night.

Western Bay of Plenty road policing manager Senior Sergeant Ian Campion said the woman had been standing on a grass verge on the side of Jellicoe St when the van had come off the road and up the verge and hit her shortly before noon.

The van was parked on a verge near the crash site.

The elderly driver of the vehicle was believed to have suffered from a medical condition and was also taken to hospital in a serious condition, Mr Clifford said.

The van was parked on a verge near the crash site with a smashed windscreen and a blue school bag laying underneath.

The east-bound lane was closed to traffic at the Tauranga end of Te Puke and diverted along Station Rd while emergency services attended to the crash and cleared the area.

West-bound traffic continued flowing and both lanes were re-opened about 2pm.