Cycle and motorbike toll soars as five die over weekend
The number of cyclists who have died on the country’s roads has more than doubled compared with last year. Four motorcyclists were also killed over the weekend.
A cyclist who died after a bike and a car collided on State Highway 1 north of Otaki pushed cycle deaths on the roads this year to 11.
The crash in the Horowhenua district happened near Gleeson Rd about 3.30pm on Sunday.
The cycle road toll at the same time last year was five, according to NZ Transport Agency data.
The Horowhenua death comes days after 19-year-old Fyfa Dawson died when she was hit by a truck on a section of major road works on Springs Rd, Christchurch, last week.
An overbridge is being built in the area where Dawson was killed.
It is understood the truck was turning into the roadworks construction site when she was hit.
Four motorcyclists, all in the South Island were also killed at the weekend — two in one crash on Dyers Pass Rd, Christchurch, on Sunday.
The deaths lifted the number of motorcyclists to have died on the roads to 43, compared with 39 at the same time last year. It’s so far the highest number of deaths in at least five years, while 2017 was the worst for cyclists when 16 died.
The two motorcyclists killed in Christchurch were the only vehicles involved in the crash, which happened just after 5pm on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Nelson motorcyclist Caleb Neho, 25, also known as Caleb
Wikaira, died of injuries suffered in a crash on Saturday.
Police and ambulance were notified of the crash, which happened on St Vincent St between Beccles Lane and Northesk St, at 5.45pm, police said.
Another motorcycle rider died after crashing near Timaru on Sunday morning.
Police said officers were called to the scene about 7.50am.
The rider died after crashing through a fence about 6km north of Timaru on Rosewill Valley Rd.
Overall, 280 people have died so far this year.
Provisional results for last year show 377 people died in total.