*UPDATED
A car carrying three teen boys which lost control along Mellons Bay Road last week narrowly missed pedestrians and wrote off two parked cars.
Some Mellons Bay Road residents say frustration and fear for pedestrian safety is at an all-time high following the high speed crash which took place at around 8.15pm on Tuesday October 3.
This is one of three crashes on Mellons Bay Road in eight days, with a high speed collision just days before, and a suspected drink driving accident on Saturday night.
In Tuesday’s crash the driver spun out into a parked car, which was thrown airborne into a power pole almost five metres away, before the vehicle hit another parked car further down the street.
There were no serious injuries, but five pedestrians witnessed the crash.
Police and emergency services responded to the accident.
The incident has rattled the street’s residents, who believe traffic-calming measures are urgently needed.
“We didn’t see the car, but you just knew there was an accident about to happen because all we heard was a car screeching down the road,” says Bev Mallowes who witnessed the crash.
“A friend and I had just walked out of my son David’s driveway, and we were standing on the footpath chatting. My car was right in front of us, and Jenny’s car was about two parks down.
“Instinct told us to run, and we did. We were terrified because you know that no matter how fast you run, you don’t know where the car is going to end up so you just have to run and hope for the best,” she says.
Bev’s son, David Mallowes says Tuesday’s accident is one of a growing number of speed related incidents along Mellon’s Bay Road in recent months.
“Just last week there was a dramatic collision on the corner of Mellons Bay road and Beach Road. And I know of several others cars that have spun out at that very corner in the last few months,” he says.
“On an afternoon three months ago, two cars racing down Mellons Bay Rd past the school ricocheted off each other with one taking out a pole and transformer.”
He says residents are also concerned for their safety after two near misses of pedestrians went unreported in the past two months.
“We can’t wait until someone gets seriously hurt before we do something. What if one of these crashes happened when kids were walking home from school?” he says.
The community is rallying behind Mr Mallowes as he readies himself to form a petition to present to the Howick Local Board, Auckland Council and Auckland Transport.
“I have visited all five witnesses today, and every one of them as well as eight other neighbours want some traffic calming introduced. I am amazed to get 100 per cent support so far,” he says.
Mallowes suggests judder bars or a reduced speed limit along Mellons Bay Road might help reduce speeding and reckless driving.
Counties Manukau Road Policing Manager Rod Honan says he is taking the Mellons Bay residents complaints seriously.
“I will get the intelligence group to have a look, and see what [accidents] have been reported in this area over time,” he says.
“We are all about safer communities together, reducing crime and reducing victimisation so if we find that there are increased numbers of cars speeding along that road there are things we can do.
“It could be as simple as deploying a speed camera car to the area,” he says.
Mr Honan says Counties Manukau Police will be looking into reports of high-speed crashes and reckless driving in the area and start discussions about what can be done to tackle the problem.
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