A Canadian tourist whose wife died when their campervan
collided with a truck in Waikato today had driven on to a
state highway thinking it was a roundabout, says a witness.
The collision occurred at the intersection of State Highway 3
and Waitomo Caves Rd in Hangatiki at 1.55pm.
It killed a woman travelling in a Kea campervan with her
husband and daughter, said the witness, who wants to remain
anonymous.
The Canadian family had been in the country for a week, and
planned to travel New Zealand in the campervan for a month.
The witness, who lives near the crash site, rushed out her
house after hearing the roar of a truck braking.
"[I heard] a huge truck and trailer unit screeching its
brakes to try and miss a poor tourist who mistook the
intersection for a roundabout.''
The local said a truck had smashed into the passenger side of
a white Kea campervan.
While speaking to the survivors from the campervan - the dead
woman's husband and daughter - she was told the man was
driving and thought the intersection was a roundabout.
"The truck driver would have never guessed that they were
going to pull out. The guy in the van, he just thought he was
on a roundabout.
"[The driver was] obviously distressed ... he was absolutely
mystified as to what happened.''
The father and daughter suffered minor injuries, a collection
of cuts and bruises. The daughter had been in the back and
was thrown around by the impact.
The truck's front was badly damaged, and the campervan was
undriveable, the witness said. "It's a mangled heap.''
The intersection has recently been upgraded to improve
visibility.
Patches of Waitomo Caves Rd leading to the highway were a
rust-red colour. The large areas of coloured road surface
coupled with numerous islands added to the road could be
confusing, the witness said.
"I can understand how somebody who's not used to the country
or roundabouts, mistaking that for a roundabout, not knowing
that they're coming out onto a main road.
"You haven't got a moment when a truck is coming from the
south, at 100km/h, it's just lethal there.''
She said there had been two other crashes since the upgrade
finished several months ago because drivers had been relying
on old GPS navigational information.
"But this is the first time that I know of that [this]
mistake has been made. But I do know it shouldn't be made
again if anyone can help it.''
She has rung the New Zealand Transport Agency to push for
signs warning drivers the intersection is not a roundabout.
"Everybody likes to place blame on somebody, but that doesn't
help the situation if it happens again.''
The Waikato Serious Crash Unit was the scene and Victim
Support is expected to help the survivors after they're
checked at Te Kuiti Hospital.
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