Yet another close call for Hamilton childcare centre after car flips onto roof in crash

A Hamilton intersection is worrying neighbouring childcare workers due to the number of crashes which occur, despite it being a 40km/h school zone. Photo / Google

Staff at a Hamilton kindergarten situated on a busy intersection are worried a young child is going to get hurt, or even worse killed, after another near miss saw a car flip onto its roof.

Several Whitiora Kindergarten staff witnessed the crash which occurred after a car appeared to go through a stop sign at the intersection of Willoughby and Abbotsford Sts next to Waikato Stadium about 8.15am today, crashing into another vehicle.

One of the vehicles spun on impact before flipping, landing on its roof.

Staff and other witnesses ran to the aid of the sole male occupant.

Waikato police Senior Sergeant Robbie Hermann confirmed no one was injured in the crash.

Waikato Kindergarten Association chief executive Maree Stewart said staff concerns about the crash were heightened after noticing a child's shoe underneath the upside-down car.

"Staff from the kindergarten here rushed out to help and check but the first thing they saw was a child's shoe under the car and thought there was a child trapped ... but the guy inside said no, he was the only one inside."

She was at the kindy this morning checking on how staff were doing after the incident.

She said although the street has been classified with a 40km/h maximum speed, it didn't slow commuters who seemed to use the streets as a shortcut to get to work.

"It's certainly very disturbing. The problem seems to be that people don't really recognise it as a 40km/h area."

She said it was fortuitous that it was school holidays and there weren't more children in the area at the time.

"Because there is a school and a kindergarten on the grounds, and a lot of our children are walkers, I mean how lucky are we that school was out. If it was last week there would have been so many children walking then. It's just a miracle, really."

Staff had told her it was the third or fourth crash at the intersection in recent times.

After chatting with staff, she said motorists were probably trying to avoid the lights further south on Ulster and Mill Sts.

"People are using it as a shortcut ... I guess it just reinforces that 40km/h around school areas ... people are more focused on getting through the streets quickly."

She said they wanted to see something done to slow people down - whether it was speed humps or increased signage or both.

"[Staff] saw it happen in front of them and it's just people failing to stop. But also we were just saying in that Abbotsford St area they really need to have judder bars just to slow people down ... and potentially there's a bit of parking that is obstructing a bit of the view, too."

She praised the quick actions of staff who immediately rounded up all the children and took them inside, while others called 111, and some went to help the man in the upturned vehicle.

"The staff were absolutely outstanding."