Northland's road toll soars after horror three days on the region's roads

Emergency services attend to a two-car collision in Ruakaka in which two people were lucky to escape minor injuries. Photo / Supplied

Another person has died on Northland roads- the third in just over two days- in a hectic weekend for emergency services as they also dealt with a spate of non-fatal crashes across the region.

The latest fatality occurred after a car and a motorcycle collided on State Highway 1, Cape Reinga Rd, about 3.35pm yesterday. The crash happened near Te Paki Stream Rd, about 16km south of Cape Reinga. A St John Ambulance spokeswoman confirmed one person died.

Details of the circumstances leading to the fatality, including whether the person who died was in the car or the motorcycle, were not available at edition time.

Northland's road death toll is nine so far this year, more than double the number at this time last year, which was four.

It follows the death of a man and his 11-year-old son after their car spun and slammed into a fuel tanker about midday on Friday on Port Marsden Highway.

Volunteer firefighters from Pukenui and Kaitaia police attended to yesterday's crash.

A police Serious Crash Unit investigator will be at the scene this morning. Police have again reiterated earlier advice for motorists to drive to the conditions, especially since rain is forecast to linger around today and parts of tomorrow.The latest fatality was among a number of road crashes emergency services attended over the weekend.

Two cars collided in rain on SH1 outside Ruakaka Primary School about 7.30am yesterday but no one was seriously hurt.

Senior Constable Martin Geddes of Waipu police said preliminary investigations revealed a north-bound car crossed the centre line, spun and hit another car travelling in the opposite direction.

"Two people from the north-bound car were transported to the Whangarei Hospital. They were very, very fortunate to escape with only bumps and bruises," he said.

Two fire appliances from Ruakaka and one from Waipu were also at the scene.

Mr Geddes said the crash was caused not so much by speed but driver inattention and a bit of the fatigue factor also kicked in.

He said with the rain expected to continue this week, drivers need to slow down and drive lower than the speed limit.

Just before midnight on Saturday, the female driver of a car escaped unhurt after her vehicle rolled on Cove Rd in Waipu. It was raining at the time and the accident happened on a bend.

About 6pm on Saturday, firefighters were called to SH1 just south of Kaiwaka after a car went off the road and one man suffered serious injuries.

Kaiwaka fire chief John Bowman said the car was among a convoy of vehicles heading to a funeral in Kawakawa. A Northland Rescue Helicopter was called but could not land because it was too misty, he said. The injured man was instead transported to Whangarei Hospital by ambulance.

In another crash, two people suffered moderate injuries in a two-car crash just south of Kawakawa about midday on Saturday.

Rainfall figures from the Northland Regional Council showed 123mm of rain fell in Waitangi at Wiroa Rd from 11am on Friday to 11am yesterday.Ngunguru at Dugmores' Rock recorded 115.5mm, Whakapara at Puhipuhi 98mm, Waimamaku at Wekaweka Rd 76.5mm, and Te Puhi at Mangakawakawa Trig 69.5mm over the same period. Okoraka at Ngatawhiti Rd in Pouto received the least rain, just 11.5mm.