South Waikato road toll growing

Two more people have died on South Waikato roads in just over one week, adding to a terrible road toll for the region this year.

On Sunday two people were thrown about 10 metres from a four-wheel drive in a chaotic crash on a major North Island highway on Sunday evening.

Napier woman Kirsten Maree Mann [27], was the sole occupant of one vehicle. She died at the scene of the head-on collision on State Highway 1 at Kinleith.

Two others, both in their twenties, were ejected on impact. They suffered serious injuries. Another person suffered moderate injuries.

Last Tuesday Tokoroa man Robert Charles Farrar died on Tuesday after being hit by a truck on a South Waikato highway.

The 20-year-old was struck in the northbound lane of the 100kmh highway north of his home town of Tokoroa, Bay of Plenty road police Senior Sergeant Fane Troy said.

A tangi and service for Bobby was held at Papa O Te Aroha Marae, Mossop Road, Tokoroa on

‘‘There were a number of people at the scene taking care of all the patients when we arrived.’’ Dave Morris

Saturday.

Tokoroa Fire Chief Dave Morris said firefighters arrived at the scene of Sunday’s accident to find debris from both vehicles littering the road.

Bystanders and ambulance staff were already helping the injured on the roadside.

‘‘There were a number of people at the scene taking care of all the patients when we arrived.’’

Fire crews spent five hours clearing the scene and provide lighting, he said.

A St John spokesperson said the first ambulance arrived on scene from Tokoroa at 5.09pm on Sunday.

Six ambulance units including two helicopters from Taupo and Waikato attended the scene where there were five patients in total, the spokesperson said.

Two people with moderate and minor injuries were taken by road to Tokoroa Hospital and were later discharged.

Two others with serious injuries were flown to Waikato Hospital where they remain in a stable condition.

Since January, there have now been 12 deaths from 11 crashes in the Taupo and South Waikato area. Eight of those deaths have been in the South Waikato.