A crash involving four motorbikes and a ute in Utiku, south of Taihape, has left three motorcyclists dead and two others critically injured.
Emergency services were called to the scene shortly after 8 am on Saturday, with fire crews using cutting equipment to free the trapped driver of the ute, who was airlifted to Wellington Hospital along with another critically injured individual.
The crash led to the closure of State Highway 1 between Mangaweka and Taihape, with detours causing significant delays expected to last several hours.
UPDATE 1:30PM
SH1 Utiku is expected to remain CLOSED for a few more hours for SCU to finalize the investigation and for the crews to clean up the road. Road users are advised to use an alternative route or delay their journey if possible. ^SG https://t.co/EvLL28cr6o— NZ Transport Agency – Central North Island (@nztacni) December 7, 2024
