Motorbike's u-turn leads to car crash

CRUNCH: The smashed Citroen Xantia on Te Whiti Road in Gladstone.

A motorcyclist chose the wrong moment to perform a U-turn on his way to a tangi in Gladstone yesterday, colliding with an oncoming car on Te Whiti Road, opposite Caveland Road.

Senior Constable Harvey Pope, who attended the scene of the crash, said the motorcyclist went past his destination of a tangi, heading east on Te Whiti Road.

He then did a U-turn, opposite Caveland Road, to head back, but failed to give way to a car heading in that direction.

The motorbike collided with the right hand side of the oncoming car - smashing the car's bumper and windscreen and knocking the rider off his motorbike.

Fire Service and two ambulances attended the scene.

Senior Constable Pope said the collision resulted in minor injuries for the motorcyclist, who was taken off in an ambulance.

The driver of the car was shaken but uninjured.

The motorcyclist had no licence and no warrant of fitness for his motorbike, said Mr Pope.

Senior Constable Pope said this was the fifth crash in two days that the police had attended. In another incident over the weekend a woman crashed her car into a bank on State Highway 2 near Mt Bruce and had to be cut out by fire crew.

The road was closed for about an hour at 4.30pm on Saturday.

Life Flight Westpac Rescue helicopter crewman Julian Burn attended the scene and said the woman was flown to Masterton Hospital with minor injuries. Earlier in the day the Rimutaka Road was closed after another collision between a motorbike and a car.

The Wairarapa Times-Age was unable to determine the extent of injuries.