Chapel St crashes: Tauranga’s Josh Geary renews call for safety barrier after another death where his mother died

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A crane lifts a crashed BMW car from the Waikareao Estuary on Friday afternoon. Photo / Zoe Blake

Josh Geary believes his mother would still be alive if a safety barrier had been in place to stop her car from entering Tauranga Harbour.

Four years after her death, another woman has died after the car she was a passenger in plunged into the water at the same spot.

The car crashed off Chapel St into the Waikareao Estuary opposite the Bay Central shopping centre entrance this morning.

Emergency services were called to the scene about 12.40am.

Senior Sergeant Roger Schreuder said the driver had made his way out of the water and was taken to hospital.

Police investigators would speak to him further.

Schreuder said the woman’s body was recovered about 8am by divers organised by the family.