One person dead following Waipukurau farm fatality

Police are investigating a single-vehicle crash near Waipukurau on Sunday in which one person was killed. Photo / File

One person has died and two people were taken to Hawke's Bay hospital with serious injuries following a spate of crashes over the weekend.

Police inquiries into the single-vehicle crash near Waipukurau in which one person was killed are ongoing.

Emergency services were called to the rural property at 11.30am on Saturday morning following reports of a person being injured after the four-wheel drive farm vehicle they were on rolled.

Medical assistance was provided, however, the person sadly died at the scene.

Federated Farmers Hawke's Bay president Jim Galloway said it was a terrible thing to happen, especially so early in the year.

"It affects more than just the family," he said.

"There's a lot of people that are going to be feeling the hurt of this.

"It's bloody terrible."

While he was not aware of the specific details of the accident, he said it was important to learn from them.

"We need to always be aware of what we can do."

This included farmers slowing down to focus on one task at a time, and acknowledging their limitations, he said.

Central Hawke's Bay mayor Alex Walker agreed the accident would be devastating for the community.

"Our love goes to everyone involved and particularly the family," she said.

There were no serious injuries when a car collided with a powerpole on State Highway 50, near Ongaonga, on Saturday afternoon. Photo / Ian Cooper

On Sunday morning another person was flown to Hawke's Bay Hospital in serious condition having come off their quadbike on Pourerere Beach Rod at 11.05am.

A man was also taken to Hawke's Bay Hospital in serious condition on Sunday morning after a car and cyclist collided near Sherendon, west of Napier.

Another driver suffered only minor injuries after crashing their car into a power pole on State Highway 50, near Ongaonga, on Saturday afternoon.

Emergency services were called to the single vehicle crash at 1.53pm with one lane of the road closed for a couple of hours.

Both the Serious Crash Unit and Worksafe NZ had been notified of the Waipukurau farm fatality.

Between October 2019 to September 2020, there 25 fatalities relating to the agriculture sector across New Zealand.