One dead, another trapped in Coromandel crash

It was too early to speculate on the cause of the crash. Photo / Auckland Rescue Helicopter Trust

A Whitianga man is dead while another man is being treated for critical injuries after a high speed, head-on collision in the Coromandel this morning.

State Highway 25 at Pukepoto, between Tairua and Whitianga, has since reopened after the crash about 6.55am.

Thames-Coromandel Senior Sergeant Graham Shields said the crash happened on a straight stretch of SH25.

It was still too early to say how it happened, but the 65-year-old driver died at the scene.

The driver of the other car, a 42-year-old man from Tairua, was trapped in his vehicle after the crash and eventually freed by firefighters before being airlifted by the Westpac Waikato Rescue Helicopter to Waikato Hospital in a critical condition.

The crash closed the road until just after 11am.

Waikato police Senior Sergeant Andrew O'Reilly said the collision had taken place in ideal driving conditions, Mr O'Reilly said.

"It just goes to show, you can't take your eye of the ball when the weather fines up," he said.

"Driving is a challenging task irrespective of climate, conditions or terrain and we need to drive to survive."