Two tourists critically injured in truck crash

Two German tourists whose motorcycle collided with a logging truck about 300 metres south of the Puketona/State Highway 10 intersection on February 24 were transferred to Auckland hospital from Whangarei last weekend.

The accident closed the highway with a lengthy rescue operation.

It appears that the motorbike was on the wrong side of the road, says Kerikeri senior
sergeant Peter Robinson.

The critically injured man and woman were initially flown to Whangarei hospital.

The truckdriver was shaken but not injured.

Fire volunteers played a major role in freeing the critically injured man, guiding the helicopter and clearing the road.

It's been a busy start to the year for the Kerikeri Volunteer Fire Brigade, with more than 60 callouts, including
16 motor vehicle accidents.

The brigade has attended 25 vegetation fires.

"Don't be lulled into a false sense of security and think because there has been a shower of rain it's all right to light a fire, it's not," says the Fire Service.

- © Fairfax NZ News