Three crashes in six days

A large crowd gathered in a Marton street to farewell a truck driver who died in the first of three serious crashes since the start of this year on a short stretch of Manawatu highway.

Father of five Nathan ‘‘Nate’’ David Karatau, 34, was seriously injured in a two-truck crash on the Rangitikei Line section of SH3 on January 4, near Palmerston North. He was taken to hospital but died that night.

About 500 people stood together outside his home in Marton and two big rig STL Linehaul trucks kept sentry on Tuesday, while a ceremony was held for family.

Then his coffin was carried through the crowds. It was topped with a silver motorbike helmet and high visibility vest that nodded to his love of trucks and motorbikes.

An emotional haka was performed in the street, before cars following the hearse did burnouts at the intersection.

Karatau’s uncle Graeme Karatau, a kaumatua and priest, performed the service. The death was a tragedy and the family were ‘‘shattered’’, he said. He urged them to keep strong by supporting each other.

‘‘This family is just sad, very sad. There are things that they are going to miss.’’

On January 8, three people were injured in a serious crash on SH3, about one kilometre north of Bulls. Then on January 10, one person was killed and another critically injured in a collision between a car and truck at the intersection of Rangitikei Line and Oroua Rd.

An earlier crash on SH1 between Bulls and Sanson on January 2 involved about 15 people. One person was initially trapped, before being flown to hospital in a serious but stable condition.

NZ Transport Agency highway manager Ross I’anson said the SH3 crashes were being investigated by the police serious crash unit and the sites would be reviewed by the agency’s safety team, but it was too early to comment further.

The section of SH3 is part of a long-term project by the agency to assess roads linking Bulls, the Manawatu Gorge and Levin, including consideration of safety improvements.

Feilding chief fire officer Bradley Shanks said the series of crashes highlighted the need for safe driving, rather than questions about the road itself.

He often attends traffic crashes in the area and said speed was a common factor.

Drivers needed to be aware of their own abilities and passengers ought not to disturb a driver’s concentration, he said.

Acting central district road policing manager Senior Sergeant Phillip Ward called for safe driving on Manawatu roads.

Emergency services attended numerous crashes during the holiday period and unless driving behaviour changed, they were likely to attend hundreds more this year, he said.

‘‘We all have a role to play, so to all road users – please slow down on our roads.’’