Dead driver named and two still in hospital

The 55-year-old driver involved in the serious crash on the Kaimai Ranges which claimed the life of 8-year-old Jasnoor Kaur on Thursday has died while another two victims from the horror smash remain in hospital.

The driver has this afternoon been named as Roy Clifford Baxter from Mount Maunganui.

Mr Baxter had been driving a Nissan van when it crossed the centre line of State Highway 29 about 4pm and collided with the Kaur family who were travelling in a Honda.

Mr Baxter died last night at Tauranga Hospital.

Jasnoor's 12-year-old brother Prabjot and 5-year-old family friend Parmeet Bhaskar were in critical conditions at Waikato Hospital by Friday morning but this afternoon Prabjot was in a stable condition at Auckland's Starship Children's Hospital while Parmeet had been discharged from Waikato.

Jasnoor's and Prabjot's 34-year-old mother Rajwinder Kaur and 20-year-old friend Rabjir Kaur, who was driving, were also taken to Waikato Hospital.

A Waikato Hospital spokeswoman said the 20-year-old was in a stable condition in a ward but the 34-year-old had been discharged.

Parmeet Bhaskar is Rabjir Kaur nephew.

The sixth victim of the crash, a 79-year-old woman who was taken to Tauranga Hospital, has since been discharged, a Tauranga Hospital spokesman said.

The man had been in a serious condition in the hospital's Intensive Care Unit.

Police were still investigating the cause of the crash.