Napier speedway incident that hospitalised young person to be investigated

The incident will be fully investigated, Meeanee Speedway says. Photo / File

An incident at an event at Meeanee Speedway in Napier that saw a young person taken to hospital in an ambulance will be "fully investigated".

A St John spokeswoman said a person was on Saturday night taken to Hawke's Bay Hospital in a moderate condition after the incident at the track.

A spectator in the crowd claimed a child four rows down from him was hit in the head by a spring, which had flown off a stock car.

The spectator described it as a "freak accident", but said the events that led to it, and the official response, needed to be reviewed closely.

Saturday saw Meeanee Speedway hold its first demolition derby of the 2020/2021 season, with the Hawke's Bay Streetstock Championships also being held along with races for in the saloon, superstock, stockcar and ministock classes.

Meeanee Speedway Promotions said in a statement it is working with Speedway New Zealand following a report of an incident at the event.

A spokesperson added that for privacy reasons they weren't able to confirm any further specifics, including whether the person affected was a spectator at the event, or whether they were a child.

"All incidents reported to us are fully investigated to ensure, in the context of our sport, all reasonably practical steps are taken to minimise risks to both competitors, in-field staff and the public, we are unable to provide further comment until such time as our investigations into the incident and appropriate processes are completed," the statement read.

Worksafe New Zealand said at 4pm on Sunday they had not been notified of any incident at the Meeanee Speedway.