Killed riders crashed head on
Truck crashes
Riding his motorcycle along State Highway 1 near Tokoroa, Hastings man Steven Charles Ward headed north with a group of riders, in town for a memorial service.
Father-of-three Ian Michael Emerson, 41, was heading south along that same highway, 20km from his Putaruru home.
On the afternoon of April 21, the pair had their first and last encounter.
They hit each other head on, both dying at the scene. Neither knew each other. Emerson, who is described as a ‘‘dearly loved husband to Lisa and father of Trent, Hannah and Kaden’’, is being farewelled today at a service in Putaruru.
‘‘Adored son to Mike and Barbara. Much loved brother to Darlene, and Teresa and loved uncle to all his nieces and nephews. Loved brother- in-law to Mark,’’ reads a funeral notice.
‘‘Love you and we’ll miss you. You will always be in our hearts.’’
It was by chance they were both riding in opposite directions on the dry highway under blue skies that Friday afternoon.
Just before 2.40pm, Emerson pulled out into the dual southbound passing lane to overtake a milk tanker, about a kilometre north of Puriri Rd.
As he rode past the tanker, for some reason, still subject to investigation, 59-year-old Ward crossed the centreline into his path.
‘‘Both motorcycles collided head on in the southbound passing lane,’’ Senior Sergeant Fane Troy, road policing manager Taupo area said.
‘‘As a result of the impact, one rider was thrown into the path of the tanker he was overtaking.’’
The tanker was not involved in the collision, Troy said, and the driver walked away from the crash.
‘‘He’s been supported by the company that he works for. It is traumatic for anybody who is an innocent bystander in a crash.’’ It was understood Ward was travelling with bikers from the Highway 61 club.
Some of his comrades were first at the crash scene, which police said was ‘‘complex’’ and stretched more than 200 metres along the highway.
Troy confirmed police spoke with a number of other motorcyclists travelling with Ward at the crash.
Early indications are that speed was not a factor, Troy said, and both riders were wearing helmets.
‘‘This was a tragedy for all involved and our thoughts are with the friends and family of those affected.’’
The Serious Crash investigating.
Unit
is A refrigerator truck carrying a load of frozen chips has crashed on a Waikato highway. One lane of State Highway 27 was blocked after the B-train truck and trailer rolled onto its side near Kaihere on Thursday morning. The driver was out of the cab and walking around, Waikato police Senior Sergeant Ray Malcolmson said. An amount of diesel had also spilled onto the highway but was being cleared by firefighters using absorbent, Northern Fire Communications shift manager Scott Osmond said. The man who washed up dead on a Papamoa beach was a local man. The 60-year-old Papamoa man’s body was discovered near the water on the beach off Karewa Parade by a member of the public on Thursday morning, a police spokesperson confirmed. Police and other emergency services were called to the scene at 7.10am. A witness told Sunlive.co.nz a man with his dog had been down with the body, which was found near the water. Members of the man’s family had also been at the beach. The matter has been referred to the Coroner and police will assist with the investigation into the cause of his unexplained death, police said in a statement. A 17-year-old man has been flown to Tauranga Hospital after falling through a window. The Trustpower TECT Rescue Helicopter was dispatched to Motiti Island, just off the Tauranga coast, where the Whakatane man had tripped and fallen through a window receiving deep lacerations to his right wrist. He was tended by St John paramedic before being flown to Tauranga Hospital for treatment.