Tourist named after black spot crash claims another life

An English tourist killed when a truck lost its load on a notorious black spot yesterday was Susan Jane Pritchard, 46, from London.

She was driving a car towards Coromandel on State Highway 2 near Mangatawhiri south east of Auckland when a truck lost a load of wood about 9.50am.

A passenger in the car was also hurt and taken to Middlemore Hospital with moderate injuries.

The accident closed the road for several hours.

The stretch of road is a notorious accident black spot which has killed at least 35 people in the last few years.

Transit New Zealand has asked for $43 million for a 7.2km bypass of Mangatawhiri. It is expected to be built by 2008.

- NZPA