The woman said she saw emergency services moving back and forth working to extract people from the vehicles.
“I saw the two cars facing towards each other and people still in them,” she said.
The crash injured five people, three seriously and two critically. The highway was closed for scene examination by the serious crash unit.
Police were working at the scene at 9.30am when a car transporter and trailer drove around workers at both cordons and then through the crash scene.
One police officer was forced to jump out of the way as the truck and trailer drove through the investigation area, knocking over cones along the way.
Senior Sergeant Murray Hamilton said there was “no excuse” for ignoring road closures or putting people at risk.
“It doesn’t matter if you don’t want to take a detour or are running late,” Hamilton said.
“Closing a State Highway isn’t done lightly or without good reason and in this case, it was to determine what caused a serious crash that sent five people to hospital.
“Thankfully, the majority of people understand that.”
Hamilton said a 53-year-old Auckland man was pulled over after the incident and charges were being considered.
Inquiries into the earlier crash are ongoing. SH1 reopened at about 11.30am.
Maryana Garcia is a Hamilton-based reporter covering breaking news in Waikato. She previously wrote for the Rotorua Daily Post and Bay of Plenty Times.
