A Kerikeri man was seriously injured when his car smashed into a tree north beside State Highway 10.
It appeared he had been heading south when his Honda City left the road at Kapiro, just north of Stanners Rd, and struck a large tree about 1.55pm yesterday.
The front of the car was crushed by the impact.
The 61-year-old driver, the car's sole occupant, was airlifted to Whangarei Hospital in a serious condition by the Northland Rescue Helicopter, which landed in a nearby paddock.
Sergeant Dylan Robinson said police were still investigating the cause of the crash and whether the driver was wearing a seatbelt.
It is understood he suffered head and facial injuries.
Kerikeri Fire Brigade volunteers had to force the car doors to extricate the driver, then they helped St John medics and the helicopter crew.
An expert from the Whangarei-based Serious Crash Unit examined the accident scene yesterday.