Driver in Maramarua pile-up 'tried to escape'

A driver at the centre of a multiple vehicle crash in north Waikato which hospitalised three people yesterday tried to hide from police afterwards.

One woman is in Auckland Hospital in a critical condition following the crash at 5.10pm yesterday on State Highway 2 at Maramarua, a notorious traffic blackspot.

Also hospitalised were a man, taken to Auckland Hospital with multiple fractures, and a third person, who is in Middlemore Hospital with unknown injuries.

Sergeant Greg Dunn said the crash occurred when the male driver of a westbound BMW crossed the centre line and tried to pass another vehicle.

The BMW hit an eastbound car, and a domino effect was caused in the ensuing melee. Different police reports have either four or five vehicles involved, one of which was hauling a trailer.

Mr Dunn said the BMW driver ran from the scene. He was found hiding in bushes by a police eagle helicopter using heat sensing equipment.

He said the driver has since returned an excess breath alcohol reading and was set to face charges.

Witnesses said the BMW had been dangerously overtaking before the accident, Mr Dunn said.

Eight other people were involved in the incident, including two children.

Though there had been substantial rain in northern New Zealand much of yesterday, Waikato road policing manager Leo Tooman said conditions "weren't too bad" when this crash occurred.

The stretch of SH2 from Mangatawhiri to Maramarua is known as the "unforgiving highway" because of the large number of fatal crashes. It is often busy at weekends with a number of Auckland drivers heading towards Coromandel Peninsula for the weekend.

Mr Tooman said a large stretch of the road would have two extra lanes added from Queen's Birthday weekend next month but that they would have been unlikely to have prevented this crash.

He described traffic as "total chaos" following the crash. Several detours were in place and the road was not cleared until 10pm.

- NZPA