A new wire rope barrier on the Hawke’s Bay Expressway between Napier and Hastings is being credited with saving the life of an elderly driver who blacked out at the wheel today.
Police were called to a single-car crash around 11am after a 71-year-old man driving north on the road near the Links Road roundabout blacked out.
After driving into the barrier for approximately 12 metres the car came to a stop.
The vehicle was extensively damaged and towed from the scene, while the driver was taken to Hawke’s Bay Hospital with minor injuries.
Senior Sergeant Dan Foley, Prevention Manager, Road Policing, says he's relieved the recently-installed wire rope barrier did its job and the man came to no further harm.
Witnesses told police that if he hadn’t driven into the barrier, he would have driven straight into a truck coming in the opposite direction, Mr Foley said.
"The driver has said he's extremely grateful for the barrier. He says it saved his life," Mr Foley said.
The driver plans to buy a Lotto ticket after his lucky escape.
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