Date: 09/06/2011
Time: Around 10:45 A.M.
Location: Huntly, New Zealand
Vehicle(s) Involved: Mazda Demio, Honda Civic
By James Ihaka and Nikki Preston
"A motorist dialled 111 to alert police to two elderly women driving their car the wrong way down a Waikato highway - then relayed news of the head-on crash that killed them moments later.
Police spokesman Senior Sergeant Matt Rogers said the motorist saw the purple Mazda Demio travelling the wrong way for almost a kilometre on the Waikato Expressway.
Another motorist filmed the wrong-way car and has given the footage to police.
Police say the two women were locals, not tourists, but the crash was a reminder about keeping left on New Zealand roads, especially as traffic built up during the Rugby World Cup.
It appeared the women entered the southbound lanes at the Ohinewai interchange and drove about 800 metres before their northbound car slammed into a Honda Civic driven by an Auckland man travelling to Hamilton for work.
The women were killed instantly.
"We got a call at the time the crash occurred," Mr Rogers said.
"One call told us the car appeared to be travelling the wrong way, and then we were being advised at 10.45am that the crash had happened."
The expressway - divided by a wire median barrier and with two lanes in both directions - has a speed limit of 100km/h.
Christian Travis, 32, of Takapuna, who was going to Hamilton for a job, is in Waikato Hospital is in a serious but stable condition.
A truck driver who saw the crash told the Herald Mr Travis' car went straight up into the air on impact.
"From what I could see it was head-on, the old ladies' car spun around a bit but his went straight up in the air and back down on the ground," said Anthony Fothergill, who was making a delivery to Hamilton in his Te Kauwhata Transport truck.
Mr Fothergill and other motorists immediately went to Mr Travis' aid.
He said the airbag in Mr Travis' car "probably saved his life".
The injured driver crawled out of his car through the passenger side.
"He was all dazed and confused, the poor bugger, he didn't know what had happened at that stage.
"We got him to the side of the road and lay him down but he was in shock and started getting cold, so we gave him a blanket."
Mr Fothergill said Mr Travis remained conscious as ambulance and police arrived.
"I just hope he's okay," said Mr Fothergill.
Waikato road policing manager Leo Tooman said the accident appeared to be caused by the elderly female driver not paying attention.
One northbound motorist filmed the car and has given the film to police to review.
Ohinewai farmer manager Mike Richards was driving his tractor when he heard the screeching of truck brakes.
Mr Richards said the road was busy and motorists started backing up quickly.
"There were a lot of people standing here and it's not something you want to turn around and look at."
The road was closed for more than three hours.
Mr Tooman said the women had not been formally identified but were understood to be locals.
"It appears today's tragedy was a case of driver inattention. With an anticipated increase in traffic flows over the next few weeks [because of the World Cup] we want to reiterate the importance of keeping to the left at all times."
The women's deaths takes the Waikato road toll to 37 this year.
An employee at Mirage Audio Visual, where Mr Travis works as a production manager, said a client of the company had visited him at hospital soon after the crash.
He appeared to be lucid, but staff were anxiously waiting for an update from their boss who was visiting him last night.
"No one feels like working at the moment ... It's hit us hard."
In July last year, an elderly unlicensed man and his wife died when he drove the wrong way down the Northwestern Motorway in Auckland.
Ewen Charles Donaldson, 86, and Dulce Maria Donaldson, aged in her 60s, entered the motorway on the Te Atatu offramp and travelled for about 1km before crashing into six cars."
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