Police this morning confirmed that just one person has died in a crash between a car and a truck on State Highway 1 at Atiamuri.
Emergency services were called to the scene since shortly after 2:30 a.m. The accident happened on State Highway 1 north of Taupo, north of Atiamuri near the Bull Ring Cafe- where the car crumbled under the truck in the collision.
As a result of the crash- the car and the frozen goods carrying truck-trailer burst into flames.
Initiatially police media said a number of fatalities which later today confirmed that the truck driver was uninjured and sole occupant of the car died in the accident.
“The driver of the truck was able to free himself from his vehicle and has been taken to the Tokoroa police station. However, the driver in the car had already died,” NZ Herald reported.
A satellite view of SH1 near The Bull Ring where the fatal crash happened (Image: Google Maps)
A resident who lives on SH 1 between Tokoroa and Taupo told media that she heard a bang in the middle of the night and witnessed the two vehicles burst into a fiery ball of fire.
“The complex scene examination is continuing, and the road is likely to remain closed for several more hours. Heavy haulage equipment will be needed to move the vehicles,” Police media released.
Police are still working to confirm the identity of the deceased and then will inform the next of kin of the dead.
Taupo Area Road Policing Group Senior Sergeant Fane Troy told media that ‘all drivers need to take care of roads themselves and drive to conditions. Traffic at that time of night usually consists of commercial vehicles in a light traffic flow’, he said.
The scene of the crash between the truck and car on SH1 between Tokoroa and Taupo- near The Bull Ring (Image Courtesy: Screengrab from the NZ Herald Focus video)
Northbound traffic was being diverted west on to SH30 at Atiamuri to Whakamaru, then north on SH32 back to Tokoroa.
The crash follows a triple fatal in Hamilton where three people - two women and a man - were killed in a two-car collision on the Waikato Expressway.
The crash happened on a slight bend of Mangaharakeke Drive/State Highway 1, between the suburbs of Dinsdale and Nawton, shortly after midnight on November 10.
“The crash this morning pushed the country's road toll up to at least 324,” NZ Herald reported.
The crash this morning was the second fatal crash on the highway in recent weeks.
Last month two people died after a serious crash on SH1 near Tokoroa.
The crash, in which three others were injured, occurred near Ohakuri, south of Tokoroa, forcing the closure of SH1.
Indian descent Bikram Singh Sandhu from Punjab and Mukul Jaglan from New Delhi were killed when the car Sandhu was driving collided with another vehicle late last month.
Amit Sharma, who was in the back seat, survived.
Police thanks motorists for their patience while the diversions remain in place.
More to come.
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