Motorcyclist killed in power pole crash south of Whakatāne

A motorcyclist died in the crash early this morning.

A motorcyclist is dead after crashing into a power pole early this morning.

One person was killed in the crash on Ruatoki Valley Road, south of Whakatāne.

A motorcycle crashed into a power pole at about 12:25am today, police said.

A nephew of the man, who did not want to be named, described his uncle as a good man with a big heart.

"It's a very sad time for the family at the moment, he will be dearly missed by many people."

He said the family did not know a lot about the crash and were waiting for more details.

The road was closed for four hours and reopened at 4:45am.

Fatal crash, Whakatane https://t.co/xoIZVV1763

— NZP Media (@NZPoliceMedia) March 5, 2019

The Serious Crash Unit has examined the scene and a police investigation is ongoing.