The crash happened at the intersection of Bonisch Rd and Parapara Rd in the Kaingaroa Forest. (Image / Google Maps)

Hearses arrive at fatal forestry crash which killed four

Author: Rotorua Daily Post,
Publish Date: Mon, 29 Jul 2019, 9:10AM

Two hearses have arrived at the scene where four people were killed in a truck-car crash in a remote Bay of Plenty forestry block this morning.

The crash happened at the intersection of Bonisch Rd and Parapara Rd in the Kaingaroa Forest about 6.40am.

A fifth person is believed to have survived the initial crash with critical injuries and was trapped in a vehicle.

By 11.30am the hearses had arrived and were let through by police manning a cordon on the road leading to the crash scene.

People who were visibly distraught had also arrived at the cordon.

A reporter at the scene said a person sitting in the passenger seat of a ute was visibly distraught, holding their head in their hands as the ute was also let through to the crash scene.

The area is remote and isolated but security staff were earlier stopping access to the forestry roads. The reporter at the scene said this was the only human interaction she had seen. Security staff have now been replaced by police,

The isolated area of Kaingaroa Forest where four people died in a crash remains inaccessible, for now.

Police at the cordon surrounding a crash scene in Kaingaroa Forest where four people were killed. Photo / Stephen Parker

A St John communications spokeswoman confirmed one person has been flown to Waikato Hospital in a critical condition.

Police were called at around 6.40am to the crash between a car and a truck.

The area is closed to all traffic while authorities attend the scene.

Two rescue helicopters have also been dispatched.

A St John alert says they had five patients at the scene.

As of yesterday, the road toll to date stood at 210 deaths on the roads this year.

A Ministry of Transport spokesman said they were in the process of adjusting those figures as a result of today's horrific crash.

The number of deaths on New Zealand roads the same time last year was slightly higher, with 219 road deaths confirmed between January 1 to July 28, 2018.

Last year's total road toll was the highest since 2009, with a total of 381 people killed on our roads. In 2009, the annual road toll recorded was 384.