Crashes keep CHB emergency crews busy
Icy conditions caught at least one Central Hawke's Bay driver by surprise on Tuesday morning.
Constable Andy Walker of the CHB Police says a crash in Elsthorpe at about 7.30am was due to a vehicle hitting ice while travelling downhill towards the Patangata Bridge.
The vehicle slid out and hit a light truck which was travelling in the opposite direction.
One person was transported via ambulance to Hawke's Bay Hospital for observation.
Police say the conditions were so icy that even at speeds of 20km/h vehicles on the steep hill towards the bridge were starting to slide.
On Tuesday afternoon a female driver received minor to moderate injuries after a rolling crash on State Highway 50, south of Tikokino.
A police spokesperson said the single-vehicle crash occurred close to the highway's intersection with Wakarara Rd about 2.20pm on Tuesday.
Police at the scene of the crash said the female driver, the sole occupant of a four-wheel drive, had allegedly swerved to avoid debris on the road, tipping her vehicle off the road in the process.
A Fire and Emergency NZ spokesman said firefighters had to cut a hole to free her from the four-wheel drive before she was taken by ambulance to Hawke's Bay Hospital.
Four people were also injured in weekend crashes in CHB.
Three people received minor to moderate injuries in a single-vehicle crash on Saturday morning. The crash happened about 10.30am on State Highway 2 north of Otane, between Hastings and Waipawa.
A motorcyclist received serious injuries following a crash at the intersection of State Highway 50 and Glencoe Station at 12.12pm on Sunday. A police spokeswoman said the motorcyclist went off the road. The rider was transported to Hawke's Bay Hospital with serious injuries.