Horror weekend on the roads

The scene of a fatal crash in Normanby, Taranaki in which a a van ploughed into a group of motorcyclists on a toy run. Photo / Kevin Bone

Four people are dead and fifteen others injured after four separate accidents in the North Island today.

A male driver died in a three-car crash south of Whangarei, which left one other in critical condition and two more hospitalised with moderate injuries.

The crash occurred in Ruakaka, north of the Prescott Road and State Highway 1 roundabout just after 4pm this afternoon.

Earlier today two motorcyclists died and five others were flown to hospital after a van collided with a group of bikes on a charity run in Taranaki.

Ambulance spokesperson Steve Yanko said three of those riders were in a serious condition and two suffered moderate injuries.

Yanko said the accident happened on a road near Normanby, south Taranaki this afternoon.

The injured were flown by Taranaki Rescue Helicopter to Taranaki Base Hospital.

A person who was performing CPR on one of the injured riders was also taken to hospital after suffering a heart attack. He was believed to have been one of the occupants in the van.

State Highway 3 has been reopened and the Serious Crash Unit are still investigating.

At 12.35pm this afternoon seven people were taken to hospital in a critical condition following a two-car crash on State Highway 1 at Te Hana in Rodney.

A male driver was cut from the wreckage and airlifted to Auckland Hospital. The others in the cars, who were of varying ages, were transported to hospital in critical condition.

This morning a 21-year-old farmer was killed in a head-on crash after his motorcycle and a car collided on State Highway 2 near Opotiki at 5am.

The motorcyclist, who lived and worked in the area, died at the scene. Police said the two occupants of the car were not injured in the crash.