Highway crashes kill 1, injure 6

Police survey the scene of the accident by Maungatapu Bridge in which the driver of the vehicle on the left died. Photo / Sarah Ivey

A Tauranga man died yesterday after a three-car accident on State Highway 2 in Maungatapu, Tauranga.

Police said the man had just driven his utility vehicle across the Maungatapu Bridge when he and two oncoming cars collided shortly before 1pm. He died at the scene.

The driver of a four-wheel-drive was taken to Tauranga Hospital with serious injuries. The driver and two passengers of the second oncoming car suffered minor injuries.

Earlier, near Taupo, a man was seriously injured when two trucks collided on SH1 about 9am.

The Taupo-based Lion Foundation rescue helicopter airlifted the driver of the southbound truck to Taupo Hospital with critical injuries. The Westpac Waikato Air Ambulance later transferred him to Waikato Hospital.

The driver of the northbound truck suffered moderate injuries and was taken to Rotorua Hospital.