Police busy over holiday period

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 2, Issue 30, 15 January 1985, Page 1

Police busy over holiday period

A fatal accident, burglary and a series of thefts from cars were some of the incidents which kept police and traffic officers in the region occupied over the holiday break. The fatal accident occurred on 26 December on State Highway One, seven kilometres south of Waiouru. Two vehicles, a Subaru, driven by Albert Burd, of Levin, and a Mazda 323, driven by Mrs Ernastine Silver, of Lower Hutt, collided head-on. Mrs Renne Geller, of Wellington, a passenger in the Mazda, was killed instantly. Mrs Silver is in a serious condition in Wanganui Hospital. Mr Burd was admitted to Wanganui Hospital but was released after treatment. On the same day, an accident occurred eight kilometres south of Waiouru, when a Mitsubishi which was over-taking two vehicles, collided into a boat that was being towed by a vehicle ahead. The vehicle towing the boat was turning right into a rest area next to the Irirangi turn-off. No one was injured in the accident, but the front of the Mitsubishi was damaged where it hit the propeller of the boat. On Christmas Eve, at a railway crossing three kilometres south of Waiouru, there was an accident involving a Mitsubishi, heading south and a Toyota heading north. Waiouru police said that it appeared the left-hand wheels of the Mitsubishi were in gravel and it lid into the path of the Toyota. Both came to a halt on the railway lines.

Fortunately, there was not a train on the line at that timeand noone was injured. A tourist helicopter flying over the desert road on New Year's Day was able to lift out a woman who had chest injuries from an accident. A Commodore car rolled across the desert road, near the Waikato Stream, about 22 kilometres north of Waiouru. A woman passenger was flown to Taupo Hospital. The driver and two child passengers were unhurt. There have also been several minor 'nose to tail' accidents along State Highway One near Waiouru, as a result of motorists following to close. On New Year's Day, a car left the road in wet, slippery conditions at Tohunga Road bridge corner. No one was injured in the accident. As there have been quite a number of accidents at this corner, plans are in progress to improve the bend.

Traffic Officer Graham Cole reports that two prosecutions are pending after motorists were stopped at checkpoints in Ohakune and Raetihi over the holidays. The checkpoints will continue throughout the year. Police in Ohakune are investigating the burglary of the Junction Ski Shop on 4 and 5 January, when a dozen ski jackets were stolen. Enquiries are also continuing into an assault complaint which arose from an incident in the Ohakune Hotelon21 December. National Park police report several incidents of cars being broken into at the Mangatepapa and Ketatahi carparks in the Tongariro National Park. Trampers had left their ^ars at the carparks and returned to find they had been broken into. Police are looking into the incidents.