Gisborne man dead and second person hurt in Wairoa crash

Police have reported a 22-year-old man from Gisborne died in a car crash in Frasertown on Sunday night after police engaged and then abandoned a pursuit of the vehicle. Photo / File

A 22-year-old Gisborne man was killed in a crash in Frasertown, Wairoa just after 7.30pm on Sunday night.

A police spokesperson said authorities were not yet in a position to release the man's name but confirmed another man, who was flown to Hawke's Bay Hospital in a critical condition, was now stable.

The Lowe Corporation Rescue Helicopter responded to the accident at 8pm and reported transporting a 26-year-old male who had sustained head and arm injuries to the Hawke's Bay Hospital in a critical condition.

Yesterday afternoon he was transferred to Middlemore Hospital in Auckland for further treatment. A Middlemore Hospital spokesperson said he was in a stable condition.

Two other men were taken to Wairoa Hospital for treatment and had since been discharged.

A police spokesperson said prior to the crash, police had observed the vehicle speeding at 7:27pm and signalled to the driver to pull over. The driver failed to stop and fled from police.

At 7:30pm the officer chose to abandon the pursuit as they no longer had sight of the fleeing vehicle.

Shortly after this, at 7:38pm police received a report that a vehicle had crashed on Awamate Rd between Huramua Rd East and Bell Rd in Frasertown.

Police have since established this vehicle was the same one being driven by the fleeing driver in the pursuit just minutes earlier.

A Serious Crash Unit investigation was under way to establish the full circumstances of the crash and police were notifying next of kin.

The pursuit has been referred to the Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA).

Meanwhile, two cars collided on the Hawke's Bay expressway yesterday afternoon leaving two people with moderate injuries. Police were alerted to the incident at about 4.50pm and attended the scene.

The crash blocked the northbound lane but it was cleared after several minutes.