A female motorist has been killed in a crash on a suburban Hawke's Bay road this morning.
Police were called to the serious crash on Tauroa Road, Havelock North, where it was reported a vehicle had gone over a bank.
Emergency services were called to the scene at 6.35am where it was initially believed someone was trapped.
The driver of the vehicle has died at the scene, a police statement said.
Police said a vehicle with a single occupant had gone down a bank. Officers were also cordoning off Tauroa Rd Reserve to pedestrians.
A spokesperson for St John said they were unable to comment.
One local resident said the first she heard of the incident was when she saw police from outside her bedroom window.
A woman who lives on Hikanui Drive walks her dog through Tauroa Rd every morning and said she "felt sick" upon hearing what had happened.
Other locals are trying to enter their houses on the closed road but are being turned away by police.
The Serious Crash Unit was on the way and the road was currently closed.