Motorcyclist dies on roadside

A motorcyclist has become the 17th person killed on Taranaki roads in 2019 following a crash in the south of the region yesterday.

Emergency services were alerted to the collision between a car and motorcycle in Wiremu Rd, Te Kiri, at 2.25pm.

It was one of three crashes involving cars and motorcycles within a 24-hour period.

The rider died on the side of the road, which was closed while police, firefighters and St John paramedics worked.

With more than two months to go, Taranaki’s road toll for 2019 now equals the total number of people killed for all of 2018, which was the highest since 2009.

Senior Sergeant Matt Prendergast confirmed one person had died in the crash but said inquiries to establish the cause were ongoing.

Prendergast said the death was a timely reminder for motorists to take care as they head home from the long weekend.

He said there would be more traffic on the road and police wanted everyone to get to their destination safely.

‘‘Remember wear your seatbelt, drive sober and alert, put your phone away and drive to the conditions.’’

The fatal crash is being investigated by the police serious crash unit.

About an hour earlier, two people were injured in a crash between a car and a motorcycle on Broadway in Stratford.

A police spokesman said the motorcyclist was carrying a pillion passenger and both sustained moderate injuries in the collision outside Countdown supermarket about 1.30pm.

Meanwhile about 4.55pm on Saturday, another motorcyclist was seriously injured in a collision with a car.

Traffic detours were in place for about 20 minutes while emergency services worked at the scene in High St in Waitara.

The injured rider was taken to hospital in a serious condition.

The long weekend got off to a bad start when a driver rolled their car on State Highway 3A in the early hours of Saturday.

Police were called to the scene about 2.35am but the driver, who had been reportedly seen stumbling around dazed and confused, had fled and had possibly been picked up by someone in another vehicle.

A van driver had a lucky escape after rolling his vehicle on the Surf Highway on Saturday night. Emergency services were called to the crash on State Highway 45 about 7.15pm.

A police spokeswoman said the male driver was the sole occupant of the van and wasn’t injured when he lost control of the vehicle.

Police inquiries into all of the crashes are ongoing.