Police name student who died in crash

A Chinese student who died in a Boxing Day smash in Southland has been named by police.

Pengxiao Tao, known as Jessica, 22, died in Dunedin Hospital on Saturday, a day after the collision between a campervan and a car on the Athol Five Rivers Highway.

She was a student at the Southern Institute of Technology, which yesterday paid tribute to her on its Facebook page, saying a memorial service will be held for her at the campus on Wednesday.

Ms Tao's mother and uncle had arrived from China and were being supported by SIT and Chinese Consular staff, the post said.

The crash left seven people needing treatment, including two German children travelling in the campervan. Two fellow students of Ms Tao's, who were travelling in the same car, remain in hospital.

A 43-year-old German man was last night charged in relation to the crash. He was due to appear in Invercargill District Court today on charges of careless use causing death and two charges of careless use causing injury.

The SIT praised police for "promptly" pressing charges, describing it as a relief for Ms Tao's friends and family.

"SIT wishes to acknowledge the many acts of kindness that have been shown to our students from the Southland community, especially those who helped at the scene of the accident."

The holiday road toll stands at seven this morning following a crash between a car and a truck on State Highway 1 at Greta Valley, between Amberley and Kaikoura, in Canterbury yesterday.

A 61-year-old woman was killed, and four others escaped injury - including a 5-year-old boy - when the car the woman was driving crossed the centreline and into the path of the on-coming truck, police said.

Two people died following a collision between a car and a milk tanker in the Bay of Plenty on Sunday. The truck and a Volkswagen Golf collided near Paengaroa, at the intersection of State Highway 2 and Wilson Rd, leaving four people trapped in the car.

A 30-year-old man from Rotorua, who was the driver of the vehicle, died at the scene. Another Rotorua man, 31, suffered critical injuries in the crash and died at Waikato Hospital later that day. Two female passengers in the car remain in a critical condition. A third man suffered minor injuries.

On Boxing Day a man died after the rental car he was driving collided with another car in Tauranga, critically injuring an elderly couple from Omokoroa.

A 56-year-old motorcyclist died following a crash near Hurunui on Sunday morning.
The man was riding a Harley Davidson on State Highway 7, between Culverden and Hanmer Springs, when his machine and a car collided just before 11am, police said. He was flown to Christchurch Hospital by the Westpac Rescue helicopter but died shortly afterwards.

The death of a man who was electrocuted after a car crashed into a power pole on a rural road in Glentui on Saturday night is being provisionally included in the road toll figure.

The official holiday road period started at 4pm on Christmas Eve, and runs until 6am on Monday, January 5.
Last year's Christmas-New Year road toll was seven, but the official holiday period was three days shorter.