Easter road toll seven, with many injured
Tuesday, 2 April 2024
As the Easter weekend comes to an end, the road toll has reached a total of seven.
Two Malaysian students from Canterbury University were among the victims.
In 2023 the Easter Holiday road toll was one.
Malaysian students from the University of Canterbury were among the multiple fatalities on Kiwi roads this Easter.
The official Easter road toll period began at 4pm on Thursday and ended at 6am on Tuesday. As of Monday night the holiday toll had reached seven, the highest number in three years.
Motorcyclist and tractor collide in Waikato
The first fatality of the long weekend occurred on Saturday.
At 10.30am a motorcyclist and tractor collided on Piakonui Rd in Matata-Piako.
The motorcyclist was taken to hospital with critical injuries before passing away on Saturday night.
Crash kills four on SH8 near Lake Tekapo
The toll jumped by Saturday afternoon after two vehicles and a motorcycle crashed, leaving three people dead.
Among those were University of Canterbury (UC) students Megat Ashman Aqif Megat Irman Jefni and Wan Nur Adlina Alisa from Malaysia.
Malaysian media reported that Irman Jefni had just celebrated his 21st birthday on March 8.
“He was a cheerful person and would tell [his family] whenever he went out anywhere since studying in New Zealand in July last year.”
A man on the motorcycle also died from the crash.
He was part of The Patriots - a nationwide motorcycle club of former and present members of New Zealand's armed forces.
Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim posted his condolences to the families of the two victims.
“I also pray for the three more Malaysian students who were injured in this incident to be healed as soon as possible.”
The other three injured were Nur Firas Wafiyyah and Lya Issable Walton, also students from the University of Canterbury, and Muhamad Faris Mohd Fairusham, a student from Victoria University in Wellington.
Police said that another person from the crash died overnight on Sunday.
A spokesperson from Canterbury University said as far as they were aware the fourth person who died from the crash “was not a UC student”.
Inspector Craig McKay said a large number of emergency staff, including three rescue helicopters responded to the incident.
Several of the injured were trapped in the wreckage and needed to be cut out, McKay said.
On Monday police were continuing to appeal for witnesses of the horror crash.
SH5 crash near Rotorua
One person died and another was seriously injured following a two-vehicle crash on SH5 on Sunday.
Police were called to the crash at 5.05am just south of Rotorua.
“Police would like to speak with people who saw a silver Mazda Atenza travelling along State Highway 5 around 5am,” a spokesperson said.
Fatal crash on SH6, Okaramio
By Sunday afternoon the toll had reach 7 after a three-vehicle crash on SH6.
Police were called to the accident in Okaramio at 2.28pm.
A person had died at the scene while two others sustained moderate injuries.
Police were wanting to speak to anyone who witnessed the crash or saw an “olive coloured Nissan Maxima” travelling along SH6 between 2pm and the time of the crash.
Police said the weekend’s fatalities were avoidable deaths.
“That’s seven families that will never see their loved ones again, seven Easters ruined and seven avoidable deaths,” Road Policing Director Superintendent Steve Greally said.
In 2023 the Easter Holiday road toll was one, a 68-year-old motorcyclist.