Tricky bend claims five cars in 48 hours

A bend in a busy Auckland road with a history of crashes has claimed its fifth victim in two days and police are urging motorists to allow for its slippery surface in wet weather.

On Sunday, four cars spun out and crashed near the intersection of Mt Eden Rd and Landscape Rd in Three Kings, and at 10am yesterday a citybound car coming round the bend spun out of control, crossed the centre line and mounted the footpath, before slamming sideways into a house’s concrete retaining wall.

A motorist travelling behind managed to take evasive action.

The driver of the crashed car was checked at the scene by St John Ambulance staff but did not require hospital treatment.

Sergeant Dylan Hannah-Jones, of the road policing team, said yesterday’s crash was due to a combination

MT EDEN

THREE KINGS of speed and a wet road.

He said four crashes had occurred at the spot in the past few days and urged motorists to take extra care.

A worker at the BP service station opposite the crash site, who asked to be called “Ali”, said four crashes happened on Sunday.

In one case, the car came out of the Duke St intersection, spun and went head-on into a pole protecting the station’s forecourt.

“It happens every time it rains,” said Ali.

Mt Eden Rd is classed as a district arterial route and an average of 22,000 vehicles pass the scene of the accidents every day.

Auckland Transport said 11 crashes were reported within a 50m radius of the scene during 2010-14. These resulted in one serious injury and three minor injuries.

However, none of the reported crashes was put down to a slippery road after heavy rain and no improvements were planned.