Foxton Beach couple named by police after Levin fatal crash

Franciscus and Karen Slobbe died after their motorcycle and a car collided on SH1 near Levin on Wednesday morning.

Police have named a Foxton couple to have died after their motorcycle and a car collided near Levin.

Karen Ann Slobbe, 59, and Franciscus [Frank] Jacobus Slobbe, 60, of Foxton Beach, died in the crash on State Highway 1, between Whakahoro and Kuku East Rds, about 5.35am on Wednesday.

According to a death notice for the couple, their service is being held at the Foxton RSA today at 11am.

Police said their investigation into the cause of the crash was ongoing but Horowhenua mayor Bernie Wanden said at the time the crash was tragic, and he hoped it would speed up necessary safety improvements on the highway.

“The road between Levin and Ōtaki is one of the most dangerous pieces of road in the country and has been for years.

“There’s been plans and talks for a number of years in terms of making that stretch of road safer.

“Hopefully this signals that something is vital in that area in terms of safety.”

He said efforts were being made to improve the safety of SH1 between Levin and Ōtaki.

“We’ve started on the SH58 improvements and that’s in the pipeline.

“But I suppose it just illustrates again how essential that we have some work done on the expressway or making some safety improvements very quickly.”