Police investigations are continuing into a fatal motor vehicle crash which claimed the lives of two local people.
Napier truck driver Ricki Martin Bartlett, 67, and Shileen Marie Aroha Cadwallader, 27, of Central Hawke's Bay, died when their vehicles collided on State Highway 50 near Roy's Hill just after 9.30am yesterday.
Sergeant
Clint Adamson, of the Hastings road policing branch, said the truck driven by Mr Bartlett was travelling south and two cars, one driven by Ms Cadwallader, were travelling north when the crash occurred near the intersection of Gimblett Rd.
Mr Adamson said the truck and first car, a red Mitsubishi, driven by a 69-year-old male clipped each other. It has not yet been determined which driver crossed the centre line.
The car then spun out on to the side of the road with the driver receiving minor injuries.
Mr Adamson said the truck then collided with the following Hyundai vehicle driven by Ms Cadwallader.
She was killed instantly and Mr Bartlett also died at the scene.
Mr Adamson said police investigations were continuing as to which driver initially crossed the centre line. At this stage speed and alcohol were not believed to be factors.
Mr Bartlett, a veteran driver with about 20 years' service for McCutcheon Transport, was described by a colleague as ``a lovely man''.
