A motorist died and another was last night fighting for his life after the second of two serious crashes in Northland yesterday.
The first accident was at 11am on State Highway One near Pakaraka Junction, near Moerewa, leaving a woman in her 70s in a serious condition.
The second accident was at the junction of State Highway One and Russell Rd at Whakapara about 4pm, in which a woman died after two vehicles collided.
Northland St John territory manager for Whangarei, Wally Mitchell, said a third vehicle took evasive action and hit a bank. No occupants from that car were injured.
There had been two people in each of the two vehicles that collided.
A female driver died at the scene while a man had to be cut free by firefighters before he was rushed to hospital in a serious condition. Two females suffered moderate injuries.
Two ambulances from Whangarei, one from Bream Bay, two fire appliances from Whangarei and Hikurangi and the police Serious Crash Unit attended the scene. Traffic heading north was diverted through Jordan Valley Rd and Whananaki South Rd. Police are investigating the cause.
Earlier in the day about 11am, two vehicles had collided about 200m west of Pakaraka Junction. Four people were taken to Bay of Islands Hospital by St John Ambulance. One, a female passenger thought to be in her 70s, was in a serious condition with chest and seatbelt injuries. The condition of the other three was described as moderate with whiplash and lower back injuries.
Senior Constable Neil Vartan, of Kawakawa police, said early indications were that one car had been turning right into a driveway when it was struck from behind by a second vehicle travelling in the same direction. A short section of highway was closed while firefighters helped St John medics move the injured and a specialist from the police Serious Crash Unit examined the scene. Traffic was diverted via Ludbrook Rd.
Driver killed in one of two serious crashes
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