Police name girl in fatal collision

Police have named a seven-year old girl killed after she was hit by a motorcycle west of Turangi yesterday.

She was Raukura Pryor of Turangi.

Six people have died on the country's roads in about 48 hours.

The girl was on her bicycle when a motorbike travelling in the same direction collided with her just after 2pm on State Highway 46.

The girl died instantly. The motorcyclist, a 54-year-old man, was flown to Rotorua Hospital with moderate injuries, police said.

The road was dry and the weather was fine at the time of the crash.

Israeli tourist, Or Eliyahu Ben-David, died and five others were believed to have been taken to hospital with serious or critical injuries following a two-car crash on the Owaka Highway in South Otago, near the Finegand freezing works, about 8.50pm on Thursday.

Mr Ben-David, aged 22, was the sole occupant of one of the cars, while the other five people were believed to be in their late teens or early 20s.

The dead man's car appeared to have crossed the centre line, although the cause of the crash had yet to be determined, police said.

Police were trying to contact the Mr Ben-David's next of kin, with help from Interpol and the Israel Embassy.

One of those injured was believed to have been not wearing a seatbelt and was thrown forward from the back seat, Sergeant Martin Bull of Balclutha said.

At 4.30pm on Thursday, a woman died when two cars collided at Prebbleton, south of Christchurch, after one of them failed to stop at an intersection.

Several people were injured, police said.

Another woman died about 20 minutes later when her car rolled near Cust, 50km northwest of Christchurch.

She was Gendie Cara Roxburgh, 68, who was the driver and only occupant of a car which veered off the road and crashed.

Just after midnight on Thursday, race caller Darren James Tyquin, 41, died after a crash on Christchurch's northern motorway.

Mr Tyquin crashed off State Highway 1, just north of Belfast, about 12.50am, after failing to take a bend, Canterbury policing development manager Inspector John Price said.

He died at the scene. Jockey Patrick Holmes, a passenger in the car, was taken to Christchurch Hospital where he was treated for minor injuries and later discharged.

Preliminary investigations indicated speed was a factor in the crash, Mr Price said.

- NZPA