A 53-year-old Auckland man faces potential serious charges after driving through police cordons at the scene of a serious crash that closed State Highway 1 near Piarere this morning.
The crash, which occurred around 5:30am between Horahora and Paparamu roads, involved two vehicles and left five people injured—three seriously and two critically. The highway was closed to allow the Serious Crash Unit to conduct an investigation.
Despite the road closure, a car transporter and trailer drove around two cordons and through the crash site at approximately 9:30am, forcing a police officer to jump out of the way as the vehicle knocked over cones while continuing through the scene.
Senior Sergeant Murray Hamilton confirmed that the driver was stopped and questioned by police, with charges under consideration.
“There is no excuse for ignoring road closures or putting lives at risk—whether you’re running late or trying to avoid a detour,” Hamilton stated. “Highways are only closed for serious reasons, such as determining the cause of a crash that sent multiple people to hospital.”
The crash investigation is ongoing, and the road was reopened around 11:30am.
