Te Haroto crash death lifts regional road toll to nine

One person has died following a crash on SH5 near Te Haroto. Photo / Google Maps

Police confirmed that one person had since died following a crash near Te Haroto on Sunday.

The crash occurred on SH5 at the intersection with McVicar Rd near Te Haroto at 4pm. Five people were taken to hospital following the crash.

Two people are now in a stable condition, one is in a serious condition and one has been discharged.

Inquiries into the circumstances of the crash are ongoing.

The death has taken the toll in Hawke's Bay this year to nine, all in the wider Napier-Hastings area and, despite the emptying of the roads in the Covid-19 lockdown, one more than at the same stage in 2019, and the highest January-June figure for the region in the past three years.

According to online Ministry of Transport statistics, there have been no fatalities this year in the Wairoa, Central Hawke's Bay or Tararua districts.

At midnight on Tuesday the provisional nationwide toll this year was 137 - 50 fewer than at the same stage last year and on target for 2020 to be only the fourth year since 1950 with a toll under 300. The peak was 843 in 1973.

Meanwhile, another person is in a critical condition following a separate crash on Wednesday near Wairoa.

The incident was on SH2 occurred at 12.30am.

A Hawke's Bay District Health Board spokeswoman said a male in his 30s was in a critical condition and has now been transferred to Waikato Hospital.

A woman in her 20s is in a stable condition.

A police spokeswoman said the two injured people were travelling in the same vehicle and one vehicle was located at the scene of the crash.

Police are keen to talk to motorists who drove between Waiora and Nuhaka early today and witnessed the collision or saw anything of interest.

Contact 105 and quote event number P042681421.