Two people have died after they were struck by a train in Papakura
Seven people - including two pedestrians hit by a train - have died in separate incidents in a deadly nine hours on the nation's roads.
And the toll could go higher with several people critically injured in the spate of crashes.
National manager for road policing Superintendent Steve Greally saidlast night's fatalities came off the back of a "disastrous" month on our roads.
"Seven people. That's seven families [affected]. That's seven lives that have ended over 24 hours, that were all here when we woke up yesterday morning...yet today they are not.
"It's just so sudden. It's so hard for those families to deal with."
The Police Disaster Victim Identification unit was attending the scene to recover the bodies.
The incident has been referred to the coroner.
Just before midnight, two more people were killed after the car they were travelling in hit a tree in Kumeu, west Auckland.
The single car incident happened on Access Rd.
And a female died after three cars collided just north of Towai in Northland on Friday afternoon.
The three-car crash happened on State Highway 1.
Two separate crashes in the South Island left two people dead and a number injured.
One person was killed and another is in a critical condition after a crash on SH65 near Lewis Pass in the Buller District.
A truck believed to be from PBT Transport collided with a van at 9.10pm last night.
Canterbury District Health Board said one male was still in a critical condition in Christchurch Hospital this afternoon, and a female injured in the accident was now in a stable condition.
A St John spokesperson said two patients were transported to Lakes District Hospital. One patient was a 8-year-old girl with minor injuries, and another patient sustained serious injuries.
