Police seeking witnesses to Northland crash which killed motorcyclist

Police ask people with any information about the fatal crash in Whangarei to step forward. Photo/ Tania Whyte.

Witnesses to a two-vehicle crash which claimed the life of a motorcyclist at an intersection on the outskirts of Whangārei are being asked to come forward.

The 54-year-old man died at the scene after his motorbike and a car collided at the crossing of Ngunguru and Sands Rds in Glenbervie shortly after 9am on Thursday.

Police said they were now seeking any witnesses who were either driving prior to the crash or with dash camera footage to help assist their ongoing investigation.

Serious crash investigator Warren Bunn said the driver of a grey-coloured Mazda 6 was turning right from Sands Rd when the biker riding a black-coloured Harley Davidson to Whangārei from Ngunguru hit the side of the vehicle and was sent flying.

Bunn said a witness may have seen a vehicle follow the biker before the crash and asked that person to come forward and tell police what they saw.

“If you have any information please call our free 105 phone number quoting the file number 230831/6260,” he said.

A Whangārei Fire Station spokesperson said they were told several passers-by tried to resuscitate the motorcyclist after the crash.

Last week’s fatality takes Northland’s Road toll to 27.

Bunn said like most crashes, this too was a case of “driver error”.

The investigator noted that Ngunguru Rd as a rural roadway had a history of having many crashes over the years. However, in the end, it all came down to drivers following the basic road rules around intersections.

Avneesh Vincent is the crime and emergency services reporter at the Advocate. He was previously at the Gisborne Herald as the arts and environment reporter and is passionate about covering stories that can make a difference. He joined NZME in July 2023.