“Two further patients, both in minor conditions, were assessed and treated at the scene [with] no transport required.”

Police were asking motorists to avoid the area and expect delays.

In an update about 3.30pm, police told the Waikato Herald the bridge was now open.

Malisha Kumar is a multimedia journalist based in Hamilton. She joined the Waikato Herald in 2023 after working for Radio 1XX in Whakatāne.