Man watches mate die on road

CAMERON BURNELL/Taranaki Daily News

DEADLY ACCIDENT: A motorcyclist was killed after his high powered bike crashed into a cultivator on the back of a tractor, on SH3 just south of Waitara on Wednesday.

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Glenn Smith watched helplessly as a close friend died in the middle of State Highway 3 near Waitara yesterday.

"I knew he was dead. It was just devastating," Mr Smith said.

He and his friend of 23 years, Julian Budd, were going fishing at Waitara but Mr Budd never arrived.

He died when his 1200cc Triumph motorcycle slammed into the rear of a tractor with an industrial-style cultivator on the back after coming over the brow of Big Jim's Hill, just north of Waitara, about 10.55am.

Police say it appeared the tractor, also heading towards Waitara, was attempting to make a right hand turn into a driveway on the opposite side of the road across double yellow lines.

The serious crash unit, based in Palmerston North, is investigating the accident.

Mr Smith arrived on the scene seconds after the impact.

"He was lying on the road and the tractor was parked up with his bike tangled up in it.

"The guys had jumped out of their cars to slow down traffic," he said.

A couple of passing motorists tried to revive Mr Budd at the scene.

"I was grateful for that. I'm really thankful to those people who helped," Mr Smith said.

He felt powerless to help his dying friend.

"I knew there was nothing that I could do. What a thing to hit, he didn't stand a chance."

Mr Budd, 50, had taken a major impact to the side of his head.

An emotional Mr Smith questioned how the accident could have occurred.

"There's double yellow lines, you can't turn there. So the obvious thing to do is pass him on the right," he said.

Mr Smith, who is also coming to terms with his father dying of cancer, said it was heart wrenching when he had to break the news to Mr Budd's partner.

"She just went blank. She looked totally devastated, like her whole world had been ripped apart."

The death had hit Mr Smith very hard as well.

"With my Dad and then this I just wanted to break down to bits," he said.

Senior Sergeant Matt Prendergast said he was not in a position to say what had caused the crash.

"We'll have to look at all the aspects of it. We will work out all of the details, who was where and doing what prior to the accident," he said.

"We're keeping an open mind at this time about what has caused the crash."

Mr Prendergast said police wanted to speak to any motorists who had seen the blue motorcycle on SH3 before the crash.

Mr Budd was formerly of Palmerston North but had been living in New Plymouth with his partner. He has a 24-year-old daughter living in Auckland.

- © Fairfax NZ News