Three people are dead and three others seriously injured after a multi-vehicle crash on State Highway 1 between Bombay and Ramarama in the Auckland region.
All lanes heading north and south are likely to remain closed into the evening as emergency services clear the scene. Motorists are being urged to delay their travel if possible.
Emergency services were called to the collision, involving a truck and three other vehicles on SH1 near the Ramarama off-ramp at 1.47pm today.
Counties Manukau road policing manager, Inspector Tony Wakelin, says at this stage it appears the vehicles collided while travelling in the northbound lanes but their investigation will focus on exactly how that occurred.
“The three deceased were travelling in the same vehicle. This many fatalities at once is shocking and our thoughts go out to all those affected,” Wakelin said.
“Incidents like this are hard on everyone involved and we are making sure there is support in place for those involved, their families, and our staff who have attended the scene.”
One person in a critical condition and two others in serious condition were also transported to hospital.
Transport Minister Simeon Brown said in today’s post-Cabinet press conference that he had received a number of notifications by the NZ Transport Agency about the crash.
”It’s a very tragic incident, there’s been a number of fatalities but obviously there’s an investigation and a [State Highway 1] closure by police,” Brown said.
Tamati Cassin, a motorist who arrived at the scene soon after it happened, said he saw three bodies in the van, as well as two people injured in a separate vehicle.
He said several members of the public ran to the aid of those involved.
”When it happened, everyone just jumped out of the cars and ran over to the van and the truck, because the truck was pretty badly damaged, and the van with the bodies in there, people just didn’t know what to do, and [they were] just trying to get them out.”
He said it appeared the truck had been travelling southbound when it blew a tyre and crossed the road, where it went through the barrier wires, and collided with a van.
”It’s all bad down here. Everyone’s banded together. The ambulance has got to all the injured. They’ve just covered up the van, and I think they’re going to get everyone moving.”
Police would like to hear from anyone who witnessed the crash, or who might have dashcam footage.
If you can help, please get in touch on 105 or online via https://www.police.govt.nz/use-105 and reference job number P059766971.
NZTA Auckland systems manager Paul Geck told RNZ the worst-case scenario would be the road remaining closed until 5am tomorrow. The closure would “go into tonight” but he could not give an exact time.
Images from the crash scene show the wire median barrier wrapped around the front wheels of the truck.
Wreckage from the truck and vehicles it has collided with could be seen strewn across the motorway.
Dazed motorists were sitting on grass verges while others walk around. Bystanders tended to the injured near their wrecked vehicles.
A passerby who stopped at the scene could be seen using power tools from his vehicle to help extricate people trapped in the vehicles involved in the crash.
St John Ambulance said it was treating eight patients, including one in a critical condition, three moderate and four minor. Six were transported to various destinations.
St John said it was sending 10 vehicles to the accident. A helicopter was also flying to the crash scene.
It said four ambulances, two rapid response vehicles, two operations managers, and one Westpac road unit have responded.
Posts to social media show a truck, van and at least two other cars with major damage and people walking over the motorway.
Motorists heading south are being diverted at Ararimu Road, Ramarama and northbound motorists are being diverted at Mill Road, Bombay.
The Drury south bound on-ramp is also closed. This section of SH1 will be closed for some time for crash investigations.
The Serious Crash Unit has been advised.
Franklin Ward councillor Andy Baker thanked the individuals and emergency services workers who helped at the scene of the crash.
“It just shows how on roads like that, which are pretty dynamic - they’re fairly fast, how just in a second, things can just go bad so quickly,” he said.
“[Wire barriers] are becoming more and more used on state highways as a safety intervention. Ramarama straights are long and they’re fast.... There’s a wide grass strip in between, but is the wire barrier the right thing there in terms of the size of our trucks and the speed at which they travel?”
Baker also reflected on his own past experience as a police officer attending crash scenes.
“I was a cop out here for a long time and went to more crashes than I care to remember, there are things there that people will see they will never unsee,” he said
“The same goes for our emergency services, a lot of them are volunteers out this way. My heart goes out to them as well, as well as the families.”
SH1 SOUTHERN MWY - 2:05PM
— NZ Transport Agency - Auckland & Northland (@nztaaklnth) August 26, 2024
Due to a crash on #SH1 between Bombay & Ramarama the Northbound carriageway is fully CLOSED with the Southbound partially blocked. Northbound traffic Delay your journey or allow extra time for detour via Bombay More Info: https://t.co/weiEJLq5l0 ^JF pic.twitter.com/jNhBFZblLt
Despite a surge in the number of fatalities on New Zealand roads over the last month, including two triple-fatality crashes in the last week, the national road toll for the year is still on track to be the lowest in a decade.
The provisional toll late on Monday was 179 puts the toll on target at the current average for a year’s end toll about 275. There have been 32 fatalities since July 24, when there had been only eight deaths in July.
The only annual tolls under 300 in the last 70 years were 284 in 2011, 253 in 2013 and 293 in 2014, and the peak was 843 in 1973.