Tesla car crashes into parked taxi at Auckland waterfront, two in hospital
Two people are in hospital – one with serious injuries – after a Tesla collided with a parked Prius taxi on Auckland’s waterfront late last night.
And two others received minor injuries in the crash which happened in the 30km/h zone at the intersection of Jellicoe and Halsey Sts, next to Karanga Plaza.
Firefighters were called around 10.30pm to the crash, with crews arriving to find a man trapped in a Prius, Fire and Emergency Auckland city senior station officer Michael Manning said.
Crews cut the patient out of the car and provided life support until St John arrived.
“Given this area of town, it was a very high-speed impact,” Manning said.
The crash happened outside a major downtown hotel, and a large crowd had gathered.
“There were a lot of people about, resulting in heavy congestion and a very busy scene for us to get a grip on early,” Manning said.
“The guys have done an absolute outstanding job here tonight on a very difficult extrication, getting the victim safely out and off to the hospital.”
Two patients – one in a serious condition and one moderate – were taken to Auckland City Hospital, a Hato Hone St John spokesman said. The service sent two ambulances, a critical care unit and an operations manager.
A third person also suffered minor injuries, according to a police statement issued this morning in response to questions from the Herald.
“Enquiries into the circumstances surrounding the crash are ongoing,” a police spokeswoman said.
A nearby taxi driver told NZME he saw the Tesla “flying down the road”.
“It was speeding very, very fast and hit the taxi car.”
He guessed the Tesla was travelling more than 100km/h.
“It was so fast it just hit the taxi car ... it was just a big, big impact.
“The crash made the taxi move maybe 3-4 metres, and the driver of the Tesla maybe looked like he had issues.”
Fire crews used hydraulic cutting gear to cut apart the vehicle to free the trapped man, while police and waterfront security managed crowd control.
Volunteers from Fire and Emergency New Zealand Auckland Operational Support Unit helped tidy the broken glass.
The owner of Wynyard Mart, which is about 20m away from where the crash happened, spoke to the Herald this morning, describing the crash as a loud “boom”.
They said they were thankful no one else was hurt, as the Karanga Plaza is popular with children and tourists.
