A motorcyclist has died following a serious crash on Settlers Rd in Reporoa.
A police spokesman said police were called at 11.13am to the crash. Ambulance officers also attended.
The motorcycle was the only vehicle involved and the driver died at the scene.
Settlers Rd is closed between Birch and Reporoa Rd and diversions are in place
Shaun Portsmouth told the
Rotorua Daily Post
he saw the motorcyclist come off the bike near the Reporoa township and slid down the road for about 20m.
Portsmouth and other members of the public helped to direct traffic and he said fire services, ambulance, and police were at the scene.
A reporter at the scene said hundreds of motorcyclists had turned up at the crash site and the riders were in karakia.
One of the riders at the scene who did not want to be named said she did not know the victim but they were on the way to ride with the group from Taupō to Reporoa and back.
She said roughly 300 riders had travelled from around the country for the ride which was for a Taupō biker and truck driver, known as Macca Mackersey, who had recently been diagnosed with an illness.
"It was a time to come together and bring the brotherhood together and sisterhood in terms of bikers, friends and family ... It's a chance for him [Macca} to connect with people from his life.
"That was the purpose, to share whakawhanaungatanga, connection."
She said the group extended the ride to go to the crash site when they heard the news.
"We made the ride go a little further to come past the accident site and stopped there to karakia and mihi for the whanau. We extended our condolences and love and aroha to the whanau."
The Serious Crash Unit has been notified.
A disregard for authority could be why those attending court are thumbing their noses.