Motorists travelling north of Hamilton are facing significant delays after a motorcycle crash blocked both northbound lanes of State Highway 1 near Horsham Downs, shortly after an earlier serious crash caused major traffic disruption on the Waikato Expressway.
According to a report by Stuff, police said the motorcycle crash was reported shortly after midday. Hato Hone St John was called to the scene at 12.08 pm and sent an ambulance and a rapid response unit.
One patient was treated at the scene before being transported to Waikato Hospital in a serious condition.
Police advised motorists to delay their travel as emergency services responded to the crash.
Earlier, emergency services attended a serious single-vehicle crash on the Waikato Expressway near Whangamarino. A car rolled between the Rodda Road on-ramp and Hampton Downs off-ramp, temporarily blocking all northbound lanes, Stuff has reported.
Police said initial indications were that one person may have suffered serious injuries, while others may have sustained moderate injuries. Diversions were put in place, but motorists were warned of “significant delays”.
“Please be patient and obey any directions from traffic management personnel or emergency services staff,” a spokesperson said, as quoted by Stuff.
Hato Hone St John said three patients were treated following the earlier crash. One was in a serious condition and two had moderate injuries. The seriously injured patient and one of the moderately injured patients were taken to Waikato Hospital.
A motorist caught in the congestion said she reached the tailback at 10.05am and found no diversions in place, despite earlier police advice.
“It’s extremely annoying,” she said, telling Stuff she felt for the victims but improvements needed to be made to traffic management that left “New Zealand’s busiest state highway virtually at a standstill outside the biggest city,” Stuff has quoted.
Police said shortly before midday that the Waikato Expressway had reopened and thanked motorists for their patience.
However, only minutes later, the motorcycle crash near Horsham Downs blocked northbound lanes again, adding to delays for motorists travelling ahead of the school holidays, as reported by Stuff.