Crash teen may have been tired or distracted

Photo / File

Police are concerned a 17-year-old woman killed in a head-on crash in Waikato on Saturday may have been tired or distracted.

Emilie Kirsten Silberer was heading back to Waihi after playing soccer in Thames and visiting Auckland when the crash happened on State Highway 2 near Maramarua.

Police said her northbound car collided with a southbound vehicle on a 90km/h bend in the road about 4pm.

Ms Silberer, who was driving, died at the scene.

Her male front-seat passenger suffered moderate injuries and was taken to Thames Hospital.

The woman driving the other car, its sole occupant, suffered critical injuries and was airlifted to Auckland Hospital by rescue helicopter.

Waikato road policing manager Inspector Leo Tooman said the crash was a tragedy.

The serious crash unit was still working to establish the cause but it was thought the car Ms Silberer was driving crossed the centre line and collided head-on with the other car

"Excessive speed and alcohol have been ruled out as contributing factors in the crash and we are now looking at what, if any, part driver distraction of fatigue played in the build up to the crash," he said.