UPDATED 4PM: One person has been confirmed dead following the head-on crash earlier this afternoon on Welcome Bay Road.
Western Bay of Plenty road policing manager Senior Sergeant Ian Campion says diversions are currently in place, and are expected to last for at least another 90 minutes.
3.15PM:
A head-on collision between a car and a truck has closed part of Welcome Bay Road this afternoon.
Western Bay of Plenty road policing manager Senior Sergeant Ian Campion says the Serious Crash Unit are in attendance.
"Diversions will be in place at the intersections of Kairua Road and Welcome Bay Road, and Welcome Bay Road Te Puke Highway."
At this stage he did not wish to comment further on the status of either vehicle's occupants.
EARLIER:
Emergency services are responding to reports of a head-on crash near Welcome Bay.
A caller to the 0800 SUNLIVE news hotline says two vehicles have crashed halfway between Rocky Cutting Road and Reid Road, on Welcome Bay Road.
It's unclear if anyone is seriously injured.
SunLive will bring you more information soon.
At the scene?
Call 0800 SUNLIVE or email photos to newsroom@thesun.co.nz
6 comments
Menacing trucks
Posted on 22-03-2017 15:29 | By Chris
I drive this road both directions every day, and the trucks here are a menace. They're been a problem ever since the expansion of the trucking business about half way along the road. Apart from the fact that the trucks are destroying the road (which clearly wasn't built or designed for this much heavy traffic), the trucks routinely cross the centreline.
golly gosh
Posted on 22-03-2017 17:52 | By old trucker
By the tyre marks there looks to be a lot of activity in that drive way,another broken family(sad)my thoughts only,No1 Thankyou 10-4 out.
Bad road
Posted on 22-03-2017 18:33 | By overit
Where this accident happened is a bad piece of road, windy, narrow and uneven.
Not surprised
Posted on 22-03-2017 19:27 | By DJBP
With respect to the family of the deceased, I am not surprised that this happened on this corner. Of course I dont know the actual facts here, but I have always thought that its an accident waiting to happen with the condition of the road. Its a sharp corner with a considerable change in grade along the length of the corner and often takes me by surprise with the sudden jump up and down in the grade. I hope the SCU find a problem with this corner so it can be repaired to prevent further incidents and not just to lower the speed limit.
Loose metal
Posted on 22-03-2017 20:59 | By waiknot
Rode through there last week on my bike and was loose metal on the road right there.
Waiknot
Posted on 23-03-2017 08:26 | By maildrop
Yeah, must be the road. Nothing to do with the bend being cut at speed.
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