Victim a 'loved eldest son'

The scene of yesterday's crash at the intersection of Ongaonga and Plantation Rds, in which a man was killed. Photo / Duncan Brown

The Central Hawke's Bay man killed in car crash on Wednesday morning was a "loved eldest son".

He was 41-year-old Dustin Kirk Sigvertsen, from Waipukurau.

Mr Sigvertsen died at the scene of the crash on Wednesday, at the intersection of Ongaonga Rd and Plantation Rd, east of Ongaonga.

Police said a northbound Ford Telstar, being driven by Mr Sigvertsen, on Plantation Road collided with an eastbound Nissan Navara ute on Ongaonga Road just after 8am.

Another Central Hawke's Bay resident involved in the crash, a man in his mid-50's, was taken to hospital with serious abdominal injuries.

Last night an HBDHB spokesperson said he was in a stable condition.

A death notice for the Waipukurau man, known as "Dusty", stated he was the "loved eldest son" of Wendy, and the late Ivan Sigvertsen. He was also a loved brother, brother-in-law, and uncle.

A celebration of his life would be held in Waipukurau on Monday.

Last night, Mr Sigvertsen's family said they did not wish to comment.

Yesterday, local residents and business owners of the nearby Ongaonga township said the intersection was not usually a dangerous one, and they attributed the crash to an "extremely foggy morning".

A Hawke's Bay police officer who attended the scene said it was a foggy morning in Central Hawke's Bay but police were yet to determine if that was a factor in the crash.

The crash was the worst of many on Wednesday, with Hawke's Bay police responding to 13 crashes throughout the region between 5am and 7pm.

Mr Sigvertsen was the ninth to die on Hawke's Bay roads, and the third in Central Hawke's Bay this year.

The Police Serious Crash Unit is still investigating the cause of the crash, and is seeking any witnesses to the crash or anyone who may have seen the silver-coloured Ford Telstar sedan heading north from Waipukurau before 8am.

- If anyone has any information that could help the police with this matter, please phone the Serious Crash Unit on 06 873 0500. Alternatively, information can be passed anonymously to the organisation Crimestoppers, phone 0800 555 111.