It was a busy weekend for emergency services in the region, who were called out to four serious crashes including a fatal accident.
One person died yesterday morning in Whakatane after the car they were driving collided with a tree before bursting into flames.
The incident happened at 5.45am on Thornton Rd, 14km north of Whakatane.
The driver, the only person in the car, was dead when emergency services arrived.
The vehicle was engulfed in flames after it hit a tree head-on. Firefighters extinguished the flames and were assisting police with their investigation. Police haven't released the name of the driver.
On Saturday morning, a 62-year-old Wellington woman was flown to Rotorua Hospital after the car she was in collided with a truck and trailer on State Highway 1, north of Taupo.
The woman was one of two occupants in the car, which flipped upside down during the crash.
Emergency services closed the road to allow the Rotorua-based BayTrust Rescue Helicopter to land and fly the injured woman to Rotorua Hospital.
The Wellington woman had suspected chest injuries. The truck driver was not injured.
Meanwhile, a collision on State Highway 5 near Taupo yesterday morning resulted in three people being taken to hospital, including one in a serious condition.
Emergency services were called to the single-vehicle crash, near the intersection of Mountain Rd and State Highway 5, shortly before noon. One of the victims was understood to have suffered critical injuries. The crash resulted in one lane being blocked. It was reopened later in the day.
Diversions were also put in place yesterday afternoon after a serious collision on State Highway 1 at Lichfield, between Tokoroa and Putaruru. Police closed the road for up to two hours while they investigated.