In the latest crash yesterday morning, a man, in his early 20s, died when he fell from his Husqvarna motorbike on State Highway 1 near Kauri, north of Whangarei.
Senior Constable Warren Bunn, also part of the serious crash investigation team, said it appeared a motorbike rider on a Harley Davidson had then struck the man while he was lying in the middle of the road shortly after 4am.
The Harley Davidson rider stopped a short distance away and rang for police help. Other motorists also stopped and parked with their hazard lights on. The state highway was blocked off and traffic diverted through Saleyards Rd until just after midday.
Police were unsure how long the man had been lying on the road before he was hit by the south-bound Harley Davidson or whether he had been struck by another vehicle causing him to fall from his bike. The two motorcyclists were not travelling together.
Mr Bunn had been to the scene and was appealing for help from the public.
"The rider of the trail bike has fallen off for some unknown reason," Mr Bunn said.
He wanted motorists who may have seen him riding prior to the fall or witnessed the crash to come forward. It's believed two drivers of fully laden logging trucks heading south were seen to swerve to miss something on the road and police would like to speak to them. He wanted motorists who may have seen him riding prior to the fall or witnessed the crash to come forward. The death brings Northland's road toll to five this year.
Meanwhile, the death of an 18-year-old man who died after he lost control of his motorcycle in sand dunes behind Tokerau Beach on Sunday afternoon has been referred to the coroner. He was Regan Grbic, originally of Kaitaia but living in Whangarei.
The teenager, one of a number of riders, had been airborne for some distance before landing badly, a police spokesman said. He suffered what were believed to be major internal injuries.
Northland Electricity Rescue Helicopter paramedics spent about an hour trying to stabilise Mr Grbic before flying him to Whangarei Hospital, where he died shortly after arrival. The spokesman added that he had been wearing "all the gear", including a helmet.
The Whangarei Motorcycle Club has paid tribute to Mr Grbic, describing him as a "wonderful young man" on the club's Facebook page.
"It is an honour to Whangarei Motorcycle Club to have had Regan as a member. He was known and loved by all his motocross brothers. He was an awesome guy, kind and generous. He will be terribly missed. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Linda and Mike and all his family. RIP (Ride in Paradise) Regan."
-Anyone with information on the Kauri crash should contact Warren Bunn at Whangarei police station on 09 430 4500.
