Bay of Plenty crashes bring holiday road toll to five

The holiday road toll has risen to five after two fatal accidents in the Bay of Plenty. File photo / Northern Advocate

A man is dead after accelerating through a police checkpoint and crashing into a ditch in Bay of Plenty tonight.

The man's death and another fatal crash in Bay of Plenty tonight brought the holiday road toll to five and the annual road toll to 381.

Police said it appeared the driver approached the checkpoint on the east side of Otara bridge, on State Highway 35, just east of Opotiki, at speed and did not stop when signalled.

He accelerated and lost control of the car about 200 metres down the road, which swerved and rolled into a ditch on the opposite side of the road, about 6.45pm.

He was the only person in the car.

Police were investigating, but believed speed was a factor.

About 45 minutes earlier an eastbound car crossed the centre line and collided with another car on State Highway 2, Matata, 23km northwest of Whakatane, about 6pm, police said.

One passenger in the eastbound car died and the driver and two other passengers were taken to hospital.

The people in the other car were believed to have suffered minor injuries, police said.

The road, known as the Matata Straights, was straight and it was not yet known why the eastbound car crossed the centre line, police said.

The road was closed for about 45 minutes.

The BayTrust Rescue Helicopter attended the crash and flew a 53-year-old man to Tauranga hospital with chest injuries.

Spokesman Neil Dodds said the people in the car which apparently crossed the centre line were tourists.

The holiday period began at 4pm, December 24 and runs until 6am, Tuesday.

Yesterday, a motorcyclist died after crashing on SH6 near Punakaiki, 42km northeast of Greymouth on the West Coast.

Picton man Murray John Roberts, 71, was killed on Monday when his car collided with another vehicle on SH1 southeast of Blenheim.

Ngaruawahia man Paul McLaughlin was killed in a crash in Waikato early on Christmas Day.

Mr McLaughlin was thrown from his car after it clipped a guard rail, crossed the centre line and crashed eight metres down a steep bank on SH1, at Hopuhopu, 3km southwest of Taupiri.

At 381, the road toll is already 16 higher than last year's toll.

- NZPA