Trio ‘miraculously’ survive car crash
High speeds likely contributed to a near-deadly crash that tore a car in two and left three people sitting injured in a field.
Police say it’s incredible anyone survived the smash that unfolded on a rural road on the outskirts of Morrinsville at the weekend.
‘‘We are thankful, and the occupants will be extremely grateful, that no-one was killed in that crash,’’ Waikato road police Senior Sergeant Pete van de Wetering said yesterday.
It appeared the driver of the car – a man in his 20s – lost control of the vehicle at high speed while rounding a corner of Kereone Rd, he said.
The car struck the trunk side on, breaking the vehicle in half at the point of the A-pillar, van de Wetering said.
‘‘Quite miraculously the passenger compartment fortunately avoided the main point of impact where the car has struck the tree, and from the firewall backwards has continued to slide into the field where it’s come to rest.’’
Two 25-year-old women, who were passengers in the car, were initially thought to be in a critical condition.
However, it soon became clear they were not seriously injured. Both were taken to Waikato Hospital where one had since been discharged and the other remains in a serious but stable condition.
The driver escaped with minor injuries.
‘‘They can count themselves extremely lucky to be alive.’’
Early indications show speed was a factor in the crash, he said. Witnesses had reported seeing the vehicle travelling at high speeds before the crash.
Police were still working to determine exactly how fast the car was travelling, he said, although it appeared to be ‘‘considerably over’’ the posted 100kmh speed limit for that road.
‘‘It’s an example of the sort of consequences one gets when speeds become inexcusably high.
‘‘We will do a thorough investigation before deciding how to resolve the investigation and whether charges will be laid.’’
The crash came a day after Waikato police conducted a speed crackdown on another rural road between O¯ hinewai and Tahuna.
In the three to four hours police were stationed on the 100kmh rural road on Friday afternoon, 23 drivers were caught speeding.
This included a heavily laden truck that was caught going 112kmh – well over the driver’s designated limit, van de Wetering said.
The driver had been referred to police’s Commercial Investigation Unit.
‘‘That too is really disappointing given there have been too many truck related crashes on our highways.’’
The message was simple, van de Wetering said; ‘‘Don’t speed – it kills.’’
‘‘We are thankful, and the occupants will be extremely grateful, that noone was killed in that crash.’’
Waikato road police Senior Sergeant Pete van de Wetering