Conditions improve for two involved in horror crash

Two of the people involved in a horror head-on crash between a car and a van near Te Awamutu on New Year's Day have been moved out of Waikato Hospital's intensive care unit.

One person died and eight were injured, including a family of seven Chinese nationals from Auckland who were on their way home from a trip to the Waitomo caves on New Year's Day.

Robyn Tara Howell, 37, from Te Awamutu, who was a passenger in the car was killed in the crash, on Otorohanga Road, near Kihikihi, just south of Te Awamutu.

Waikato Hospital spokeswoman Mary Anne Gill said the 30-year-old driver of the van and the 24-year-old driver of the car who were in a critical condition have both been moved to the high dependency unit.

"Of concern to us still is a 59-year-old woman who was in the van. She underwent abdominal surgery yesterday and is still today in intensive care in a critical condition," Ms Gill said.

A seven-year-old boy was earlier discharged from hospital with minor injuries.

A 33-year-old woman, the 20-year-old wife of the van driver, a 17-year-old boy and the 47-year-old father of the two boys were all still at Waikato Hospital with moderate injuries.

Seventeen people were killed in 15 crashes over the holiday period, including six drivers, five passengers, two motorcyclists, a tractor driver and a horse rider.

Last year nine people died in the same period, which runs from 4pm Christmas Eve to 6am January 3. Twenty-two were killed the previous year.

- NZPA