One dead in crash; pedestrian killed on ‘quiet’ street
THE holiday road toll last night stood at two after one person was killed in a single-vehicle crash on State Highway 3, near Kaitoke, and a pedestrian was killed on a ‘‘quiet’’ residential street.
Police confirmed one person had died as a result of a crash about 12.25pm yesterday near Concord Line, south of Whanganui.
On Friday, a pedestrian died after they were hit by a car on John St, in Blenheim, about 8.40pm.
One person, who is understood to have been in the car, was taken to Wairau Hospital’s emergency department in a serious condition.
Resident Johnny Olivier said he was trying to go home about 11pm and found the street blocked off by police. He and his family were escorted in on foot.
‘‘The body was lying there right in front of my van,’’ he said.
‘‘It was bad for my kids. I’ve got a 7-year-old and a 3-year-old, they were crying the whole time.’’
Olivier said the area was generally ‘‘quiet’’ and his children rode bicycles in the street. The car appeared to have mounted the footpath before crashing into a fence opposite his house.
‘‘It was shocking when we came in and saw all the police cars,’’ he said.
Other John St residents said they heard the crash on Friday night, and regularly heard cars speeding along their street.
‘‘[The driver] must have been going really fast,’’ said one resident, who did not want to be named.
Police said officers left the scene about 12.30am yesterday, but were back on the street investigating later yesterday morning.
In the year to date, 349 people have died on New Zealand roads.