Raglanites ask Council to stop flying cars

For the last nine years, drivers have driven their cars over the steep bank where Bay View Road meets Cambrae Road and become airborne. So far nobody has been killed. There has been damage to cars and property including the Council’s retaining wall.

The most recent incident occurred at 8pm on Wednesday 12th. A car flew over the Bay View Road corner headed down the bank ending up lodged into the bach at 27 Bay View Road. Fortunately the bach resident was not in the bedroom that the car entered. Raglan Volunteer Fire Fighters attended and winched the car out of the bach bedroom. Raglan Ambulance attended and cared for the driver of the car. Posts in the WDC retaining wall at the bottom of the bank were snapped in two by the impact.

Following the last incident in December 2019, local resident Wilfred Gilbert wrote to the Waikato District Council saying, “I can recall at least five times when motorists have failed to take the corner and have ended off the road. Twice in recent times, the most recent being on last Friday night at 4 am, the corner power pole has been hit and broken and had to be replaced. The cars which have hit it have been severely damaged and probably written off. In February last, a car missed the pole but became airborne and landed in the middle of the road on Cambrae Road after breaking off one of the large poles holding up the retaining wall on the corner.” He added, “I believe the Council will be held responsible if someone does in fact die because nothing has been done to warn of the danger. At least, a warning sign in the street above the corner could be placed where it is plainly visible. Better, a steel barrier wall could be mounted on the curve of the corner to deflect cars from the danger. Better still, arrange to have the power pole removed and underground cables laid around the corner.”

After this letter was sent to WDC, no action was taken by the Council.

After the latest incident a group of Cambrae and Bay View Road residents have given another letter to Waikato District Council. An online service request has also been lodged with the WDC asking for the retaining wall to be repaired.

The letter penned by Wilfred Gilbert said, “NOW IT HAS HAPPENED AGAIN! This time a car became airborne as it missed turning round the corner in Bay View Road and bounced off the kerb. On landing it tore two posts out of the ground and smashed several panels of the retaining wall on Cambrae Road corner. It then proceeded across the street, smashed through two hedges and finally hit the wall of the bach on Millicich’s property causing internal damage above a bed as well as severe damage to the vehicle. Fortunately the bed was not occupied at that moment, and again fortunately the driver of the car did not suffer much physical harm, but was in a state of severe shock through this event. NEXT TIME? A FATALITY?”