Tributes flow for man who died in Ruahapia Rd crash

A man comforts a little girl at the site of a fatal collision on Ruahapia Rd yesterday.

A Hawke's Bay family are mourning the loss of a loved brother and uncle.

John Gilbert MacDonald, 52, of Hastings, died in a crash just north of Hastings on Sunday.

Mr MacDonald was driving a Nissan Maxima when it was in collision with a ute on a bend on Ruahapia Rd, off State Highway 2, at 3.20pm.

The occupants of the ute, a mother and her three children, were all injured in the crash. A 7-year-old boy was flown to Starship Hospital in Auckland with critical injuries but is now in a stable condition. His mother and two sisters, aged 5 and 9, were treated in hospital and have since been discharged.

Tributes flowed on Facebook for Mr MacDonald .

"Rest easy my big brother no need to worry bout how young you look anymore, I'm in shock," his sister posted.

"big shock. I still gta tx in my phone lockd in from him."

"love u uncle we jst saw u last wk al hapy to. hve good memories of u as I grew up. Will miss u hpz. Love u alwys," a niece said.

"Man, so shattered. Gota love ur BLOOD cherish every moment ... live life to the fullest its too short not to."

Senior Constable Cory Ubels of the Serious Crash Unit said investigations into the crash were continuing and police wanted to hear from anyone who had seen the light-coloured Nissan Maxima.

"We would like to speak to anyone who may have seen the Nissan Maxima on the road between Pakowhai Rd and SH2 just before the crash.

"It's important that we get as much information as possible to help us find out exactly what happened and how the two vehicles collided," Mr Ubels said.

One witness described the scene of the crash, on a road known for its sharp bends, as "horrific".

After hearing a loud bang, she raced outside to investigate.

She saw two children lying prone on the ground as they were treated by ambulance staff.

Several members of the public helped at the crash scene, tending to the injured victims.

Anyone with information about the Nissan Maxima should contact Mr Ubels at Hawke's Bay police on (06) 211 3644.

This was the fourth fatal accident on Hawke's Bay roads in 2015.

-Yesterday, Hawke's Bay Today published that a carseat had been thrown from the vehicle. It is now known the carseat had been removed from the ute by bystanders when they moved the children to safety.