A person has died following a two-vehicle crash on State Highway 29 in the Kaimai Range early on Thursday morning.
Emergency services were called to the scene of the collision, which involved a truck and a car, near the intersection with Valley View Road in Lower Kaimai at about 5:50 am. Police have confirmed that one person was found deceased at the scene. The Serious Crash Unit is now investigating the circumstances of the incident.
The highway, a critical link between the Bay of Plenty and Waikato regions, was closed for several hours in both directions between Poripori Road and State Highway 28 as investigators examined the scene. The road has since reopened.
Fire and Emergency northern shift manager Paul Radden confirmed that two fire crews, one from Greerton and another from Tauranga City, attended the incident. The closure caused significant disruption for morning commuters and local residents.
School forced to close
The highway closure had immediate knock-on effects for the local community, with Kaimai School announcing it would be closed for the day. In a post on its Facebook page, the school explained the decision was due to the road closure preventing staff from getting to the school.
“Unfortunately due to the closure of SH 29, we’ve had to close the school today as staff are not being allowed through,” the school stated. “Apologies for any inconvenience.”
Initially, Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency had stated that school buses would be allowed through from the Tauranga side, but the school later confirmed the full closure was necessary due to staffing issues.
An ‘unforgiving road’ with a history of tragedy
The crash is another tragic incident on a stretch of road that road safety advocates have long described as dangerous and in desperate need of improvement. State Highway 29 serves as a primary freight route to the Port of Tauranga and is frequently congested with heavy trucks.
Concerns have repeatedly been raised about the road’s condition, narrow sections, and dangerous intersections. In the wake of a previous fatal crash, Western Bay of Plenty District Councillor and Joint Road Safety Committee chairwoman Margaret Murray-Benge described it as an "unforgiving road".
The background of frequent accidents adds to the anxiety of the local community. Tauriko School principal Suzanne Billington has previously said that locals are always on edge when they hear sirens on the highway. "When we hear police cars or ambulances go up the road we're always thinking about who it is," she said.
This latest fatality adds to a grim road toll for the Bay of Plenty. Similar incidents continue to spark calls for significant safety upgrades, including widening the road and improving key intersections like Poripori Road and Belk Road to better accommodate the high volume of traffic. Last year, Ahmed Shariff, 37, was also killed in a crash on the Kaimai Ranges in November.
Investigation continues amid calls for upgrades
While the Serious Crash Unit investigation into the specific cause of Thursday’s crash is ongoing, the incident highlights the broader safety issues plaguing the Kaimai corridor. The highway’s role as the “main lifeline of the port,” as Cr Murray-Benge described it, means it carries a disproportionate number of large trucks compared to other roads, and similar environmental concerns have been raised, such as when Freshwater Creek was contaminated.
Waka Kotahi has implemented various safety improvements on Bay of Plenty roads, but advocates argue the pace of upgrades for SH29 has not kept up with the growth in traffic volume and freight. The route is notoriously challenging, with steep gradients and winding sections that can be treacherous, especially in poor weather.
For now, police are advising motorists to expect delays as traffic returns to normal. The investigation into the crash continues, and police have stated that their thoughts are with the family and friends of the deceased at this time.
