A man died and a seven-year-old girl was hurt when a car and a ute towing a trailer collided in the lower Kaimai Range last night.
It was one of 10 crashes in the Western Bay in 24 hours.
The 30-year-old Hamilton man driving the car, a Holden Commodore, suffered multiple injuries and died at the scene after the crash on State Highway 29 near Kaimai School at 5.15pm.
The seven-year-old Cambridge girl received minor injuries and was taken to Tauranga Hospital by St John ambulance.
The ute, a Chevrolet, was travelling west towards Hamilton and the Holden heading east towards Tauranga when they collided.
The crash happened at the start of the passing lane near the school.
The impact pushed the Holden into a ditch. The Chevrolet and trailer spun 180-degrees and also ended up in the ditch.
The three other people in the Chevrolet and the passenger in the Holden were unhurt.
Charges had not yet been laid this morning as police were still investigating the cause of the crash.
Sergeant Mark Holmes, of road policing, said the fatal crash was one of 10 in the Western Bay between 7am yesterday and 7am today.
Five of those were on the Kaimai Range, which had a significant amount of rainfall during the 24-hour period.
Mr Holmes said there was often a spike in road crashes at this time of year as motorists failed to adapt to the weather conditions.
"We were just picking the pieces up all day long," he said.
Police were disappointed to see people still travelling at 100km/h in the wet.
The first crash in the Kaimais was at 9.10am and the last was the fatality. None of the others resulted in serious injury.
Meanwhile the Tauranga-based TrustPower TECT rescue helicopter was called to Te Kaha after a serious crash involving four people yesterday morning.
The helicopter flew one patient with lower back and pelvic injuries to Tauranga Hospital after the crash at 9am on Copenhagen Rd, off State Highway 35. The other three, all of whom had moderate injuries, were taken to Whakatane Hospital.
At 6.35am today, an 18-year-old Welcome Bay man was hurt after his car hit a power pole.
The man suffered neck pain after the collision with the pole on Welcome Bay Rd, between Waikite Rd and Arawata Ave. He was taken to hospital by St John Ambulance with minor injuries. Two poles were pulled down, cutting power to about 200 homes. Supply was expected to be restored by lunchtime.
Witnesses to the fatal crash on the Kaimais last night, in particular a van travelling from Tauranga, are asked to call Tauranga south police station on 578 3460.
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