Lucky driver escapes injury after nasty roll

The driver of a car which left SH5 and rolled down a bank near Te Pohue on Sunday was lucky to emerge unscathed, police said.

While investigations into the crash were still being carried out, officers believe the driver, a Napier woman in her early 20s, may have miscalculated her speed through a section of roadworks in the area which is about 5kms north of Te Pohue.

The car had slid off the road and down a bank at about 5pm.

She managed to escape without injury.

One officer at the scene said if the car had not been stopped by a tree - which was in its path - it could have rolled a lot further down the bush-clad bank.

A 30km/h limit had been placed on the stretch while roadworks were being carried out.

Sergeant Ray Wylie of the Napier Police Traffic Section said motorists needed to be wary of roadwork areas, and stick to signposted limits.