Horror motorcycle crash sees renewed call for speed camera
Another crash on an busy stretch of central city highway has rekindled calls by residents for a speed camera to deter dangerous driving.
The latest crash occurred in the early hours of Monday when a motorcyclist travelling at high speed was sent flying through the air after mounting the kerb and crashing into a car in the yard of Amber & Black Quality Cars on the corner of State Highway 3 and Watson St.
The crash was caught on video by New Plymouth District councillor and resident Murray Chong, who lives across the road.
Amber & Black owner Darryl Macdonald has run his yard at the intersection for eight years and said there had been about 20 crashes at the intersection since he was there. He estimated those ones involving his yard had cost him upward of $80,000.
“I’m sick of it,” he said.
“I might have to close the doors because I’m just not making any money.”
Te Whatu Ora confirmed a 34-yearold man was admitted to Base Hospital following a motorcycle crash in a serious, but stable condition on Monday. He had since been transferred to Waikato Hospital yesterday morning for ongoing care.
Macdonald said he had taken people to court over damage they had caused to his business but never saw the full amount.
In 2018, he was told by a magistrate that she would not force a driver to pay $13,000 for damage caused when they lost control after drinking and slammed into Macdonald’s uninsured parked vehicles.
The magistrate’s reasoning was that it was Macdonald’s choice not to have insurance, however, at the time he had said he couldn’t afford it.
Macdonald said he’d been trying to get help to protect his business from wayward vehicles and had talked to police, NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi , the New Plymouth District Council, and local MPS, but to no avail.
Chong lives across from the car yard and has been calling for a speed camera to be installed on the intersection for years in the belief it would deter speeding drivers.
“Once people know there’s a speed camera, people don’t speed. You’ll either get revenue from it or people will stop speeding and causing damage.”
He caught the motorcycle crash on camera and claimed police told him they’d clocked the driver for speeding just five minutes before the crash.
He said there had been at least seven crashes in the area in the last 18 months alone.
In 2021, 21-year-old Justice Grace, of Waitara, died in hospital after crashing across the road from the intersection.
Chong said he had been told by Waka Kotahi it wouldn’t be a suitable place for a speed camera due to the downhill gradient and speed changing from 60kph to 50kph a few metres up the road.
He estimated at least 50 people a week would drive vehicles past his property doing more than 90kph.
In December, it was announced that the number of speed cameras was to quadruple nationally as Waka Kotahi took over operations.
Chong hoped Taranaki would see some of those.
Waka Kotahi have been approached for comment.