A note and flowers at the scene of a incident involving a mobility scooter and a motorcycle at the Tutanekai St and Amohau St intersection on Tuesday. Photo / Laura Smith
A note and flowers at the scene of a incident involving a mobility scooter and a motorcycle at the Tutanekai St and Amohau St intersection on Tuesday. Photo / Laura Smith
A father and young daughter who came across the scene of a fatal road crash involving a mobility scooter and a motorbike have left a touching tribute at the Rotorua intersection.
The rider of the mobility scooter, described to the Rotorua Daily Post by witnesses as an elderly man, died in Tuesday’s crash, police confirmed. Serious Crash Unit inquiries were ongoing.
The crash happened about 10.20am near the intersection of Tutanekai and Amohau Sts, closing the road for several hours.
Shocked witnesses have described hearing a “bang” as the vehicles collided, and seeing an elderly man thrown from the mobility scooter. Passersby rushed to help and emergency services soon took over CPR efforts, but police said the rider died at the scene.
By Wednesday morning, flowers and a note had been attached to the traffic light pole at the intersection.
Rotorua resident Steve Browning said he was driving out of McDonald’s on Amohau St with his daughter, 11, towards Tutanekai St when they saw a large group of people, some directing traffic with orange flags.
As they got closer, “we saw what was really happening, and our hearts just went: ‘oh, shit’”.
They saw the mobility scooter “wreckage … all in parts” and CPR being performed on a man on the ground.
A note and flowers at the scene of a crash involving a mobility scooter and a motorcycle at the intersection of Tutanekai and Amohau Sts on Tuesday. Photo / Laura Smith
Browning said he drove around the block to go back to McDonalds for the coffees they forgot, and to see if there was “anything we could do”.
He said police were about to close the street off, and the pair headed home, talking about what happened.
Browning said he suggested they make something to put up at the scene, such as a bunch of flowers.
His daughter went into their garden to collect the bouquet and they made a card for the man who died.
The scene at the crash between a mobility scooter and motorcycle near the intersection of Tutanekai and Amohau Sts in central Rotorua on Tuesday. Photo / Maryana Garcia
The front of the card said: “To Koro, luv u” and inside they wrote a message of thanks to the emergency services and everyone else who helped.
Later that same day, they went back to the scene and placed the tribute.
“It could have been anyone’s father, grandfather, brother, uncle … one person still matters,” Browning said.
Witness accounts
Hiria Pohutuhutu was working at Colombus Coffee across the road when she heard a “bang” on Tuesday morning.
“I looked straight up and just saw the guy in the air and the chair to his scooter flying,” she said.
She saw that an elderly man on a mobility scooter was involved.
Pohutuhutu said she immediately called the ambulance and ran outside, seeing the motorcycle nearby.
A passerby began performing CPR on the man and Pohutuhutu saw someone run to find a defibrillator.
A note and flowers at the scene of a crash involving a mobility scooter and a motorcycle at the Tutanekai St and Amohau St intersection on Tuesday. Photo / Laura Smith
Emergency services then arrived on the scene and took over.
She said the incident was “traumatising” and everyone was concerned about those involved.
“I did a little prayer for him.”
Another witness to the incident, who asked not to be named, said he was facing a window when the crash happened.
The man said a small motorcycle came through the intersection.
A note and flowers at the scene of a incident involving a mobility scooter and a motorcycle at the Tutanekai St and Amohau St intersection on Tuesday. Photo / Laura Smith
“I didn’t even hear the bike until I heard a bang.”
He saw other people by the intersection “freaked out” and he heard screaming.
“I rushed out and called an ambulance.
“When I got outside the first responders had started showing up, and they were doing CPR. He just wasn’t moving.
