Black ice was the likely culprit for a trio of crashes in the Southland region on Friday morning. Early morning rain coating already frosty roads created black ice in various spots across the region. A single-vehicle crash closed part of State Highway 98, near Invercargill and there were two crashes near Gore early in the morning. A police spokesperson said Friday’s weather conditions tended to create more risk than the polar blast the region experienced on Tuesday. “We generally see more crashes when the weather is cold and conditions are as they are, and black ice is more dangerous than snow on roads typically,” the spokesperson said. At about 7.50am, a single vehicle crash closed SH 98 in Lorne Dacre Rd, Roslyn Bush, about 15km east of Invercargill, after a car struck a power pole. The road was closed between the Mill Rd North and Kennington Roslyn Bush intersections. It reopened at about 1pm. NZ Transport Agency/Waka Kotahi (NZTA) advised at about 1pm today that the road had reopened. Two crashes also occurred near Gore this morning. At about 7.40am, a two-vehicle crash was reported in Waipahi Highway in McNab, near East Gore. Two fire trucks from Gore and one from Tapanui were dispatched to the car and truck crash, a Fire and Emergency New Zealand (Fenz) spokesperson said. Minor injuries were reported. There was a partial road blockage, but the highway was reopened shortly after police left the scene, the Fenz spokesperson said. At about 8.25am, police were called to a single-vehicle crash on Waimea Hwy, near Otamita, northwest of Gore. No injuries were reported by police. Metservice recorded a low of -3.7˚C in Invercargill at about 3am on Friday morning and Gore reached a low of -3.6˚C at 3am and 4am. gemma.sinclair@alliedmedia.co.nz
