Two women have died in separate Hawke's Bay crashes just hours apart overnight.
Police and emergency services were called to the first crash scene on SH5 near Te Pohue about 11.30pm on Wednesday.
One woman in the car died.
Two other passengers were treated for injuries and are understood to have been taken to Hawke's Bay Hospital.
The crash closed the highway stretch until about 3.15am this morning.
However, just 15 minutes later crash scene police and other emergency services were called to a second serious crash near Raupunga on SH2 north.
One woman in the car died and a second person escaped without serious injury.
Both incidents are being investigated by the Police Serious Crash Unit and no other details were available at this time.
The latest fatalities brought the death toll for the Hawke's Bay and Gisborne region to 14 this year.