Double tragedy for Tauranga families

Friends of a Tauranga woman killed in a crash could only watch in horror in the rear-view mirror of their car as her vehicle crashed side-on into a truck.

The 24-year-old suffered horrific injuries in the crash, which happened at 4.50am yesterday . The woman died at the scene on State Highway 29, about 4km from the intersection with SH1 at Karapiro.

Her death was one of four fatal crashes throughout New Zealand within a 24 hour period, including one involving a single vehicle that crashed into a tree on SH36 at Pyes Pa. A driver was killed in Clutha and a fourth person died in Waitaki after crashing into a bridge.

Matamata-Piako road policing Sergeant Dean Kaio said it was too early to say what the cause of the Tauranga woman's crash was, but they could confirm her vehicle had slid into the path of the oncoming, and unladen, logging truck as it rounded a sweeping left-hand bend.

Kaio said the woman was heading towards Matamata in wet conditions when the crash happened near the Hinuera quarry.

"It actually hosed down about half an hour before so there were quite deep puddles when I arrived. It was a 75km/h advisory corner but I couldn't tell you how fast she was going."

Kaio said making the crash even more tragic was the fact she had friends travelling in a vehicle ahead of her at the time.

"They saw parts of what happened in the rear view mirror and turned around. She has lost control on the road and crossed over to the wrong side of the road and struck the oncoming truck."

The vehicle slid side-on with the driver's side taking the full impact.

"Her side, the driver's side, slid into the truck so she has taken the brunt of the sudden stop, along with the car, and has suffered some pretty horrific injuries and died at the scene."

He said it was a timely reminder for people to drive to the conditions especially given the dry conditions and the build up of oil and petrol left on the road.

"We are going to get showers on dry roads and the build-up of oils and petrol on the road make it pretty treacherous ... you just put a bit of water on them and it turns into a skating rink like it did ."

There were no other people on the road at the time, just the friends and the truck driver.

"There's no witnesses or no one else to glean anything from just a truck driver who is traumatised but uninjured."

Meanwhile, a motorist died in Pyes Pa when a car left the road and hit a tree around 10.15pm.

Kieran Carter heard a bang late on Tuesday night but did not investigate it.

Yesterday , he was feeling guilty after learning someone had died near his Pyes Pa Rd home.

The 31-year-old self-employed electrician said he went to bed not realising the noise he heard was a car hitting a tree outside.

"I heard the bang. I was just about to go to bed ... I feel guilty eh mate. I could've possibly helped."

He has lived there for about 18 years and was not aware of a crash at that site before although he did recall a truck once hitting the bank on the other side of the highway nearby.

Debris lies strewn where a person was killed when the car they were driving crashed into the tree. Photo/Scott Inglis

"You see debris all over the place eh, down our driveway, down Williams Rd, and when it rains it's wicked slippery."