Crashed ute fished out Raupare Stream
A ute that had been submerged in the Raupare Stream for five days, and deemed a pollution risk, has been fished out.
Mike Signal, Hawke's Bay Regional Council's Team Leader Pollution Response and Enforcement, says the ute was involved in a single-vehicle crash and became wedged in the drain.
"One of the main areas of concern as well as pollution was it was under a major culvert under Pakowhai Road wedged in and blocking the Stream flow restricting passage in a major rain event."
"The stream was in high flood and at night so hard to tell is any discharge at the time but damage to the vehicle would indicate the radiator would most likely have leaked into the stream. No discharge was seen the following morning or days."
There was a small amount of hydrocarbon discharge on extraction but booming in place downstream captured it.
It was removed with the help of commercial divers and a tow truck.
A police spokeswoman says they were advised at 12.50am on Saturday that a ute had crashed off the road and gone into a stream on Pakowhai Road, between Te Ara Kahikatea and Farndon Road.
"The driver was the sole occupant of the ute and appears to have gotten out of the ute himself before emergency services arrived.
"The man was reported to be cold but uninjured. The Council was notified that the car was in the water."
Signal says this was "unfortunately" not the first time an incident like this had happened.
About two months ago, a vehicle crashed into a small waterway above Waipatiki.
