Updated: Traffic on State Highway 29, between the Poike and Welcome Bay roundabouts, is reduced to a single lane following a head-on crash.
Only north bound traffic is able to travel along SH29 past the scene of the crash.
Two vehicles have crashed on SH29, between Welcome Bay and Poike roundabouts. Photos: Cameron Avery.
Hamilton bound traffic is being diverted along Ohauiti Road or Turret Road while the scene is being cleared, says Western Bay of Plenty road policing manager Senior Sergeant Ian Campion.
The crash happened about 8.10am, about 200m from the Welcome Bay roundabout.
Ian says three people have been injured.
"The fire service has been called to assist in accessing one of the injured who is down the bank."
Earlier:
People are being asked to take an alternative route after a head-on crash on State Highway 29, near Poike.
Two vehicles have crashed down a bank between the Poike and Welcome Bay roundabouts.
Western Bay of Plenty road policing manager Senior Sergeant Ian Campion says three people have been injured.
"The fire service has been called to assist in accessing one of the injured who is down the bank."
Ian asks people to avoid the area until police have cleared the crash scene.
A caller to the 0800 SUNLIVE news hotline says southbound traffic is being diverted down Poike Road.
7 comments
Delays
Posted on 11-02-2016 12:00 | By Camperladdie
While I have full sympathy for the people involved in the accident I fail to understand the traffic delays to such a wide area. It took me 1 hour 10mins to travel from my home in Welcome bay where I set of at 8.45 to Fraser St intersection which none of that route was in the crash area. At the welcome bay roundabout there were NO police directing traffic which was seemingly being done by workers in Hi Vis vests and chaos was evident. Yes, I can understand some delays but surely the police should have been clearing the accident area quicker or is this another case of our worsening PC Madness or in other words lets discuss the accident and to heck with the traffic backed up for many kilometres in all directions.
1 hour to go 1 km
Posted on 11-02-2016 13:29 | By Adrian Muller
Is thgis reason for the delay of over an hour to get from the Welcome Bay School to the Ohauiti roundabout this morning. Seems puzzling as Welcome Bay traffic to the city ought not to have been affected, but it certainly was, and not a traffic cop in sight the whole time.
Cops
Posted on 11-02-2016 15:03 | By Kenworthlogger
Cops were too busy trying to catch that poor motorist that accidently goes 4 km over the speed limit.,,,
Give Police a break
Posted on 11-02-2016 16:19 | By Summerfreeze
When people are injured in any road accident like this one, the Serious Traffic people have to be involved, marking the road where vehicles have skidded etc. to work out who was at fault. All this takes time and I'm sure the police were doing everything they could to get things moving again. No, I don't think they were trying to catch that poor motorist going 4 km over the speed limit. Give them a break, they have a job to do and sometimes it isn't a very pleasant job cleaning up the mess from an accident like this one.
Use a bike
Posted on 11-02-2016 16:49 | By Enviro
I saw the back up was beyond the Caltex before I left home and decided to bike to work, past approx 300 cars (I gave up counting after 118). I suggest more of us do the same! Welcome bay hill ain't as bad as you think!
Traffic Delays
Posted on 12-02-2016 10:40 | By Rate1
Luckily I heard the report on the radio and diverted from 15th ave to Fraser St to head south. This isn't a traffic delay! Was up in Auckland traveling from the International Airport to head to the motorway! Stop/start all the way from the airport, 2hrs plus to Dury offramps - now that's a traffic jam. Thank goodness we live in Tauranga - not Auckland!
Sympathy?
Posted on 17-02-2016 12:00 | By triplediamond
Too many unskilled drivers on our roads. Not accidents....Crashes! Re-test every driver with a practical test every few years. This would reduce the number of crashes, deaths, ACC Most would not pass and would have to undertake further tuition. This in turn would create more jobs (driver trainers, testers etc). Driving is not a right... it is a privilege!
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