Fatal labour weekend accidents were "tragic incidents", says officer

Police divert traffic on Great North Rd after the road was closed by a fatal accident. Photo / Lewis Gardner

Two fatal accidents in Whanganui in which two young men died were "tragic incidents", the officer in charge of the Whanganui Road Policing says.

"The two fatal crashes were just really sad, but they weren't related to speed or any form of distraction or impairment," Sergeant Colin Wright said. "But to lose two young men is just really sad.

"It's tough for the victims' families, the truck drivers, as well as the officers who attend the accident."

Across the Central Policing District which includes Taranaki, Whanganui and Manawatū, 35 people have died in road accidents so far this year. That compares to 33 at the same point in 2019.

"From that point of view it's disappointing," Wright said.

"Nationally we are sitting at 20 below where we were last year. Nationally we are doing well, but regionally we've had a pretty tough run."

Nationwide, the road toll is sitting at 260 deaths, with seven killed on the roads over Labour weekend.

Despite the two deaths, Wright said drivers' behaviour around Whanganui was good over Labour weekend compared with previous years.

"Taking the two fatals out, while traffic was really busy and we had a few minor crashes in town on Friday, traffic has been pretty good. Generally speaking, the traffic was on the whole well-behaved."

The two fatal accidents, one a pedestrian struck by a heavy vehicle at Westmere on Saturday, and the other a car and truck collision at Kai Iwi on Friday, were both "tragic incidents", Wright said.

Wright said the victims of both accidents were young men in their teens, and to lose them was difficult for their families, as well as the drivers of the heavy vehicles involved in the accidents.