Police are reminding the public of the dangers of walking along the Waikato Expressway.
Around 7.10pm yesterday [Tuesday 7 July], the Police Emergency Communications Centre received 15 calls from members of the public, reporting that a person was seen walking along the centre of the Waikato Expressway.
The person was reportedly crossing multiple lanes, wearing dark coloured clothing, and was very hard to see.
Waikato West Area Commander, Inspector Andrew Mortimore, says that walking along the Expressway is incredibly risky.
“The Waikato Expressway has a speed-limit of 110km/h, and it is extremely dangerous to walk at such close proximity to vehicles travelling at such speed. Especially at night, in areas where there are no streetlights, making visibility very low.
“Police are all too familiar with the devastating outcomes that can occur from crashes involving vehicles and pedestrians, and at speeds like this those outcomes are, more often than not, fatal,” says Inspector Mortimore
Police located the person and took them back to the Huntly Police Station while they awaited a family member to pick them up.
“I would like to thank the members of the public who did the right thing and called Police immediately, so that we could assist the person in getting home safely.
“While I am very grateful that this did not end tragically, it serves as a warning to others who may not be so lucky,” Inspector Mortimore says.
Any concerns around dangerous activity on roads, whether that be dangerous driving or people in compromising positions, should be reported immediately by calling 111.
