Truck damages up to 10 cars
Icy and slippery roads could be factor in multiple crashes
Police have warned drivers to be aware of winter driving conditions after a dozen vehicles were smashed in five crashes in less than five hours. The biggest of the spate that left a trail of damage around a damp and slippery Hawke’s Bayyesterday was on Tomoana Rd about 10.30am.
Seven parked cars were damaged when a truck crashed into them from behind on the busy Hastings road.
There were no injuries or road blockages and tow vehicles helped clear the damage, which included several cars that appeared to be writeoffs.
Earlier, as rain started to fall about 8.30am, a two-car crash occurred at the intersection of Frederick St East and Caroline Rd in Hastings.
A St John Ambulance spokesperson said one person was assessed and treated at the scene.
Then at 11.52am a car smashed through a fence at a property on Kiwi St in Camberley, causing significant damage. No one was injured.
Then 20 minutes later at 12.10pm a car crashed off the road State Highway 2, Poukawa, but no one was injured.
An hour later there was a crash on SH5 at 1.10pm and a truck was blocking one lane of the road but traffic was able to get past.
A police spokesperson said the circumstances of the crash were not known but the truck was towed and the lane cleared in about 40 minutes.
Medics attended and treated the patient at the scene, the spokesperson said.
It followed at least three crashes around the region on Tuesday, one of them blamed on icy conditions on Elsthorpe Rd in Central Hawke’s Bay.
Police Eastern District road policing manager Matt Broderick said some drivers in the region weren’t driving to winter conditions, which were changeable.
“They don’t allow for freezing cold mornings producing ice on roads and
They don’t allow for freezing cold mornings producing ice on roads and they just drive normally, it’s a habit thing. Police Eastern District road policing manager Matt Broderick
they just drive normally, it’s a habit thing.
“They’re not taking into account weather conditions, they’re perhaps setting off at the same time but finding that the traffic is heavier because people that are taking account of the conditions are maybe driving a bit slower, taking a bit more care.
“And those people quite often think ‘why are people driving slowly’, well, they’re taking account of the conditions.” Broderick said “twirl” is a helpful acronym for people before setting out, particularly in winter.
T — check your tyres have appropriate grip; W — take time to demist your windscreen and windows and make sure they are clean; I — check your indicators are working; R — make sure your car is in a roadworthy condition and check for rust; and L — make sure lights work and turn them on when needed.
He said he knows “police can seem like a broken record-beating on about restraints, impairment, distractions and speed”, but those are the “old faithfuls” that cause accidents.