Lucky to escape collision without serious injuries

Four people were taken to hospital as a result of a two-car crash at the corner of Bushmere Road and Bloomfield Road late on Friday afternoon. Both vehicles sustained substantial damage. One car was driven by a local man, and the other contained R&V festival-goers from Hawke’s Bay. Picture supplied

The occupants of two cars that collided on Bushmere Road on Friday afternoon were lucky to escape serious injury, with four of them taken to hospital with minor to moderate injuries.

It happened at around 5pm at the Bloomfield Road corner.

“All the occupants were out of the vehicles when we arrived,” a senior firefighter said.

Four people from one car were transported to Gisborne Hospital by ambulance with what ambulance staff described as “minor to moderate” injuries.

A witness said one of the cars went through the stop sign on the Bloomfield Road corner and struck the other vehicle side on.

He estimated both vehicles were travelling at around 100kmh.

One vehicle was driven by a local man from that area, and the other was full of Rhythm & Vines festival-goers from Hawke’s Bay.

Both cars sustained substantial damage.

In a second vehicle crash in this area over the New Year holiday weekend, a car went off State Highway 35 on the Wainui side of Makorori Hill at around midday on New Year’s Day.

It ended up in a roadside ditch.

A St John ambulance spokesman said one person was taken from the crashed vehicle to Gisborne Hospital with minor injuries.

The highway remained open while the injured person was cared for and the crash scene cleared.

■ Firefighters were called to Makorori Beach on New Year’s Eve to put out a reasonable-sized grass and scrub fire that started about half way along the beach front.

Calls about it came in at around 4pm.

Fire and Emergency NZ responded with two crews from the Gisborne fire station along with several rural fire units.

“It covered an area of about 40 metres by 10 metres,” a senior firefighter said.

“The crews were there for a couple of hours ensuring it was put out properly.”

The cause was undetermined, he said.