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It may seem self-evident, but police are having to remind people yet again that walking along the Waikato Expressway is dangerous, police Inspector Andrew Mortimore confirms.
“Around 7.10pm yesterday, the Police Emergency Communications Centre received 15 calls reporting that a person was seen walking along the centre of the Waikato Expressway,” he says. “The person was reportedly crossing multiple lanes, wearing dark coloured clothing, and was very hard to see.”
As speed limits range from 100-110km per hour, the results of an accident can be horrific.
“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,” Mortimore says.
“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.”
Fortunately, yesterday evening’s incident did not result in fatalities. 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 members of the public who did the right thing and called police immediately so that we could assist the person in getting home safely,” Mortimore adds.
“While I am very grateful that this did not end tragically, it serves as a warning to others who may not be so lucky.”
Any concerns around dangerous activity on roads should be reported immediately via 111.
