Diversions were in place off the highway at Ngataipua Rd and Hauraki Rd.
The news comes after the Easter weekend road toll hit seven, marking the highest number of deaths over the Easter holidays in three years.
In 2021, seven people also lost their lives between 4pm on Thursday and 6am on Tuesday over the same holiday period.
New Zealand Police road policing director Superintendent Steve Greally told Newshub the number “beggars belief”.
“This has blown my mind a little bit, we don’t want any more. This is enough carnage for people to bear,” Greally said.
Matamata motorcycle and tractor crash victim among seven killed on New Zealand roads over Easter
Among those who lost their lives over the weekend was a motorcyclist who died after a crash with a tractor in Richmond Downs, Matamata.
Police were called to the crash on Piakonui Rd at 10.40am on Saturday.
The motorcyclist was taken to hospital with critical injuries and died overnight.
The deadly crash was one of three collisions involving tractors on Central North Island roads within two hours on the same day.
Ten minutes before the fatal Richmond Downs crash, two people were seriously injured after a vehicle crashed with a tractor on Oparure Rd, near Te Kūiti.
At 9.45am, a tractor also collided with a car at the intersection of Pond Rd and SH29 in the Matamata-Piako District.
“Initial inquiries indicate the tractor had gone through a stop sign and crashed into an oncoming car,” a police spokesperson said.
Four people were in the car and one was injured seriously.
Warning from Waikato Police
The incidents prompted a warning statement from Waikato Police.
“Police have observed an increase in the number of agricultural vehicles on Waikato roads recently, as farmers take advantage of the dry weather to cut maize and make silage in preparation for winter,” the statement said.
A police spokesperson acknowledged it was “frustrating” being stuck behind a slow-moving vehicle but asked motorists to be patient.
“Similarly, we’re asking those on agricultural vehicles to be mindful of traffic around them and to pull over and let traffic pass when it is safe to do so.”
Maryana Garcia is a Hamilton-based multimedia reporter covering breaking news in Waikato. She previously wrote for the Rotorua Daily Post and Bay of Plenty Times.
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