'Walking wounded' at crash lucky to survive

A highway patrol policeman surveys the scene of the crash, at the summit of State Highway 29 over the Kaimai Range. Photo / George Novak

Two motorcyclists riding in convoy with Welcome Bay-based gang the Greasy Dogs had a miraculous escape in a crash on the Kaimai Range yesterday.

The head-on crash with a car took place just past the summit lookout on State Highway 29, after the riders had emerged from the bends on their way back to Tauranga.

"They were very lucky," Senior Constable Warren Watts of Waikato highway patrol told the Bay of Plenty Times.

"My expectation was that it would be a fatal. On my way up here, I was expecting a fatal," he said.

The badly smashed-up bikes indicated how lucky the two riders had been.

Mr Watts described the riders as "walking wounded", saying there were no pillion passengers.

Speaking at the accident scene, he said the two bikes had possibly collided with each other before impacting with the car.

The car was owned by a Te Aroha family returning from Tauranga, with two children seated in the back. He said the family was shaken but unhurt.

"Everyone was okay and that is the important thing," Mr Watts said.

The accident happened just after 3pm, at a time when there were a lot of motorcyclists on the highway enjoying warm spring riding conditions.