There were three men and two women in the car at the time. Four were trapped inside the wreckage.
One of the men died at the scene. The two women and one of the men suffered critical injuries. The third man was able to get himself out of the car unassisted with only minor injuries.
The truck driver had escaped without injury, and was receiving support from Victim Support, police said.
The police serious crash unit and the commercial vehicle investigation unit were investigating the cause of the crash which has closed a section of SH2 at the Wilson Rd intersection. Traffic would be diverted via Paengaroa township, police said.
It followed another fatal crash in the district on Boxing Day, in which a man died and an elderly couple were critically injured in a two-car collision in Tauranga.
The two fatals have prompted police to urge drivers to take extra care on the roads. They advised motorists to plan their trips, take their time and abide by all road rules.
The official holiday road period started at 4pm on Christmas Eve, and runs until 6am on Monday, January 5.
Last year's Christmas-New Year road toll was seven, from a total of 193 reported injury crashes. But the official holiday period was three days shorter than this year.
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