The district's mayor says the stretch of Waikato road where five people died in a head-on crash yesterday isn't particularly dangerous – but it is particularly busy.
Emergency services were called to the crash on State Highway 3 in Ōhaupō, between Te Awamutu and Hamilton, at 4.44pm yesterday.
"Police can confirm the three occupants of one vehicle, and two occupants of the other vehicle all died at the scene," said Waikato road policing manager Inspector Jeff Penno.
"To lose five lives in these circumstances is heartbreaking, and our thoughts go out to all the families affected."
Waipā Mayor Susan O'Regan told Breakfast this morning: "I just want to extend my heartfelt condolences to the grieving family and friends of those who were tragically taken."
She said police were working to piece together the circumstances of the crash – in particular to provide the families with answers.
"Briefing the mayor is not really high on their priority, and I totally accept that," O'Regan said.
"But look, I have absolutely no doubt that the people of Te Awamutu will wrap their collective arms around those grieving families, and support and care for them in their time of sorrow."
Is it a dangerous area?
It's not a particularly dangerous stretch of road, O'Regan said – but it is busy.
"From Te Awamutu to Hamilton and obviously the airport, it's a very high-use traffic area," the mayor explained.
"It has a number of safety features around it. For sections of it, it's sort of quadruple-laned in places," she added.
"[There are] lots of safety features, but this was a portion that there was no barrier between the two lanes of traffic.
"I wouldn't class it as being particularly dangerous, personally, but very high-use."
It was a state highway, not a council-controlled road, O'Regan added.
The road was reopened about midnight on Tuesday, under traffic management while a clean up of the scene was completed.
NZTA responds
The New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) said last night's tragic crash was "not in an identified high risk area".
"NZTA is assisting the police Serious Crash Unit, which is leading the investigation into last night's crash," NZTA's regional manager of maintenance and operations for Waikato and Bay of Plenty Roger Brady said.
"We will also carry out our own review of the crash site, as we do in response to all fatal crashes on the state highway network, with a focus on the potential contribution of any road or roadside factors to the crash, and any safety improvements which can be made at the site," he said.
"It's important that we allow this work to be completed in order to have a full and accurate understanding of all of the factors which may have contributed to this crash."
Brady noted another fatality recently occurred on State Highway 3 last Friday between Airport and Kaipaki Rd, which is approximately 8.2km from last night's crash.
A range of safety improvements were implemented on SH3 between Ōhaupō and Te Awamutu in 2017, including 10km of side barriers, 33km line marking, right turn bays, slip lanes and roadside hazard protection, he said.
"Our programme of work for infrastructure improvements is prioritised according to risk. This includes the crash history of different sections of state highway, traffic volumes, and the potential for reducing deaths and serious injuries.
"We have an obligation to invest in safety improvements where they are most needed and have the greatest impact."
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