Women killed in wrong-way crash named

The two women who died in a head-on collision after they drove the wrong way down a Waikato highway on Tuesday have been publicly identified.

They were driver Eunice Griffiths, 82, and passenger Vina Wills, 81, both of Huntly.

Witnesses saw the Mazda car the two woman were travelling in join State Highway 1 at the Ohinewai Interchange on-ramp on the Waikato Expressway and travel south, Inspector Leo Tooman said.

The car then made a U-turn about two kilometres before the crash.

"The Mazda has then travelled north, on the wrong side of the median barrier and collided with a southbound Honda Civic sedan.''

The expressway - divided by a wire median barrier and with two lanes in both directions - has a speed limit of 100kmh.

Christian Travis, 32, of Takapuna, was driving the Honda and suffered serious injuries and was recovering in Waikato Hospital.

One northbound motorist filmed the car and gave the film to police to review.

The women's deaths took Waikato's road toll to 37, compared with 34 for the same period last year, Mr Tooman said.

 

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