One patient is in critical condition after a serious motorcycle crash on Opaki Kaiparoro Rd, Mauriceville on Wednesday night.
Police were notified of the crash at 5.20pm and attended the scene with crews from Masterton and Mauriceville fire brigades, and Wellington Free Ambulance.
By the time first responders arrived, a local farmer had cordoned off the road at the intersection with Dreyers Rock Rd and was alerting oncoming traffic to take another route.
Police said there were no other vehicles involved in the crash and that the road re-opened at 10.35pm.
The patient was transported to Wellington Hospital via a Life Flight’s Westpac Rescue Helicopter for further treatment after emergency services set up a landing area on the road near the scene of the crash.
Masterton Fire Brigade station officer Doug Flowerday said the area was a challenging spot for an aircraft rescue.
“It was a reasonably difficult spot for the chopper but it landed on the road – in the dark, of course.”
A spokesperson for Life Flight said the lack of moonlight meant it was a difficult descent and “the community-funded night vision goggles used by the pilot were invaluable”.
It was a busy day for the Life Flight team, having already completed one mission earlier in the day to pick up an injured tramper in Tararua Forest Park.
Wellington Hospital was unable to provide an update on the motorcyclist’s status by press deadline.
