Rawene man flown to Whangarei hospital after collision

A Rawene man riding a motorbike was lucky to have escaped with a broken leg after a collision with a four-wheel drive.

A Rawene man was flown to Whangārei hospital with serious injuries after a four-wheel drive and a motorbike collided in the Far North today.Police, St John ambulance and Fire and Emergency went to Rawene Rd about 1km from State Highway 12 at 12.20pm.

Police Senior Sergeant Brian Swann said a 32-year-old rider collided with a Nissan Safari 4WD and suffered serious injuries including a compound fracture of the femur.

He was taken to Rawene hospital by ambulance before being flown to Whangārei Hospital in a rescue helicopter about 2pm. A Whangārei hospital spokeswoman later said the man was in a stable condition.

Fire and Emergency Rawene officer in charge Nopera Pikari said it looked like the rider had hit the corner of the truck while coming out of a corner.

His message for all drivers on Northland roads is to "slow down and take your time".

"Don't rush," he said. "The rider was lucky; it could have been a lot different."

Meanwhile, police said Whangārei man Seth O'Meara, 49, was killed whentwo cars collided on State Highway 1 near Waipū on Friday. Another person sufferedserious injuries in the crash, just south of the intersection with Glenmohr Rd, around 5pm.

The crash closed SH1 until 9pm while three ambulances and a rescue helicopter attended the scene.

His friend of 15 years, Sheila Pasini-Ferneyhough said O'Meara was artistic, creative, entrepreneurial and "a caring genuine spirit that was always a giggle to be with".

"His generosity and friendship is sorely missed," she said.

Senior Constable Martin Geddes at a recent safety day for crabbers at Uretiti Beach. Photo / Michael Cunningham

Police said a man who died after getting into difficulty in the water while crab fishing at Uretiti Beach in Waipū on Christmas Day was Zhongyu Deng, aged 40, from Flat Bush in Auckland.

The deaths mark a tragic start to the summer holiday season.

Also on Christmas Day, 44-year-old Hanbo Bao drowned while snorkelling at Kai Iwi Lakes north of Dargaville.

On December 27, a woman in her 60s died and two people were rescued after their boat capsized at Houhora Harbour's east beach in the Far North.

The deaths have been referred to the coroner.