One person dead, two critical after crashes in Māngere, Beachhaven

The remains of the car that smashed into a tree on Massey Rd in Mangere early this morning. Photo / Hayden Woodward

A person has died and a second is fighting for their life after a crash in South Auckland in the early hours of this morning .

And a second crash on the North Shore three hours later has left another person in a critical condition.

The first crash, involving one car, happened shortly before 3am on Massey Rd in Māngere, between Prangley Ave and Duggan Ave.

A photographer at the scene said a car had taken out a bus stop before hitting a tree. Two people were trapped in the vehicle and had to be freed by fire crews.

He said there were children's car seats visible in the wreckage but he understood there were no children involved in the crash.

The road had been closed and the police serious crash unit was attending.

The car damaged a bus stop on Massey Rd before colliding with the tree. Photo / Hayden Woodward

St John sent three ambulances to the scene at 2.50am, along with a first response vehicle and a managing vehicle. Both patients were taken to nearby Middlemore Hospital in a critical condition, St John said.

Police have since confirmed one of those in the crash had died.

The road would be open shortly, police said.

They said the Serious Crash Unit were notified and investigations into the cause of the crash would continue.

Just over three hours later a car smashed into a power pole in Beachhaven, on Auckland's North Shore.

Emergency services were called around 6.15am to the single-car crash on Fairclough Rd, a police spokeswoman said.

"One person is in a critical condition," she said.