A woman critically injured in a crash on State Highway 2 in Lower Hutt yesterday has died in Hutt Hospital.
The fatality brings the road toll to 221 so far this year, 11 more than at the same time last year and a continuation of a worrying increase in road fatalities since the historic low in 2013.
"It's incredibly distressing for all of us involved in trying to keep the road toll low. It's a worrying trend," says Lisa Rossiter from the New Zealand transport agency.
The road toll so far this year is 39 higher than at the same time in 2014.
This year's Queen's Birthday weekend was the worst in 27 years - with eleven people dying over the long weekend.