Police have issued a warning to motorists to take extra care when overtaking tractors.
Police were called out after a tractor and car were involved in a collision on Oparure Rd, Te Kūiti, about 10.30am on Saturday. Police said it was one of several collisions between tractors and other road users across the country during the Easter Break. There were also collisions involving tractors in the in Matamata-Piako district. The Te Kūiti incident involved a white 2008 BMW and a green Fendt tractor, both of which were travelling north. Police said the tractor had apparently attempted to turn left into a driveway but due to its size, the driver had to swing wide before doing so. The BMW car attempted to under-pass during this manoeuvre, hitting the tractor’s front left wheel. This caused the car to spin and crash into first an electrical cable cover, and then a farm fence, catching fire in the process. A fire truck from the Te Kūiti Volunteer Fire Brigade attended and put out the fire in the car, which was extensively damaged. Fire fighters also assisted the moderately injured driver and secured a landing site for a helicopter to land to transfer him to Waikato Hospital. The spate of tractor-versus-car crashes was out of the ordinary and a represented timely reminder to be careful when overtaking such vehicles, Police said. “Motorists should exercise caution, because tractors are often a bit longer than people judge them to be. There is also an obvious speed difference between tractors and other vehicles on the road.”
Meanwhile, State Highway 3 near Ōtorohanga was closed for a time on Tuesday following a crash involving a truck. Travellers on the road between Kihikihi and Ōtorohanga were delayed by roadworks at the same time.
