Scooter rider sent flying over cop car

Police remove the scooter involved in a collision with a police car. Photo / Alan Gibson

A routine traffic stop turned to tragedy yesterday when an elderly man was fatally injured as his scooter collided with a police car near a busy Mt Maunganui intersection.

The squad car had pulled over a motorist moments before the 83-year-old's scooter rear-ended it near the intersection of Tweed St and Maunganui Rd shortly after 11.30am.

Witnesses said the rider was hurled over the top of the police car, which was parked on broken yellow lines and had its red and blue lights flashing.

The man, described by witnesses as a well-known local, suffered severe head injuries and died in Tauranga Hospital.

He was first treated by Gillian Rowse, a former nurse and checkout manager at the nearby New World supermarket who said he was a regular customer she had known for years.

"I went straight across the road and there was a policeman there with him - I could see he was in a bad way," she told the Herald.

It was only when Ms Rowse got closer that she realised she knew him.

"It was quite a big shock but you can't just stand back and not do anything. You just have to put your best foot forward and do it."

Ms Rowse said the man was unconscious and swallowing his own blood but she was able to regain a pulse by performing CPR.

When three ambulances arrived minutes later, she helped to place him on a stretcher.

"St John did a wonderful job. To me, everything that could be done was done."

She said the man lived nearby and was probably on his way to the supermarket when the crash occurred.

"He's been coming [to the supermarket] as long as I've been here. He'd always ride down on his little cream scooter and we'd have him on about his big helmet. He's a very nice bloke."

One witness, working in a Maunganui Rd store, looked out the window, saw the police car pull over the motorist and heard a loud bang seconds later.

"It happened very, very quickly. I looked out and saw a scooter and a gentleman lying on the ground.

"You could tell that it was serious, just by watching the actions of [Ms Rowse]."

Another witness said the same police car had earlier pulled over another motorist on the forecourt of a nearby service station.

She questioned why the policeman chose to pull over the motorist on broken yellow lines and described the spot as a "weird place to stop".

However, a police spokeswoman said police were allowed to do so if required.

Western Bay of Plenty acting area commander Inspector Mike Clement said a crash investigation was under way and the Independent Police Conduct Authority had been notified as the crash involved a police vehicle.

Mr Clement said the police officer involved was "very shaken" and would be offered counselling.

"Until the crash investigation is complete, it is impossible to comment further or speculate about how it occurred ... Our thoughts are with the family right now and we will continue to provide them with support."