Close call for crash drivers

UNHURT: The three drivers involved in a multiple nose-to-tail crash near Kuripuni all escaped injury despite extensive damage to two of the cars. PHOTO/NATHANCROMBIE

Three drivers escaped injury in a dominoed three-vehicle collision near the Kuripuni roundabout in Masterton yesterday morning.

Police Sergeant Chris Megaw was at the crash site on SH2 and said each of the drivers were sole occupants of their cars and it was lucky no one was hurt.

He said a black SUV and a sports car had halted at the roundabout and a following utility vehicle had failed to stop in time.

The Masterton driver of the Holden utility, Toby Hawea, 78, said immediately after the crash he was still "a bit shaken up" by the multiple collision.

"They were all slowing and queuing up," he said. "And by the time I realised they had stopped, I braked but it was too late."

The 54-year-old driver of the grey Mazda Eunos sports car in the middle, which was most visibly damaged, was too shaken to comment.

Carterton woman Michelle Grant, 35, was the driver of the Hyundai SUV vehicle and said she was on her way to work in Kuripuni when the tail of her car was hit.

"These things happen," she said. "There was a line of cars and we all stopped as we were coming up to the roundabout, and someone didn't see that we'd stopped so hit a car which then hit another car."

Seargent Megaw said it is "fairly common for most tail crashes to occur along here" and drivers should take extra care, especially in morning traffic.