“Two people in one of the cars died, while the driver of the second car had minor injuries. The driver of the truck was uninjured,” a police spokesman said.
Emergency services attended a horrific crash on Great South Rd in Takanini that resulted in multiple fatalities Photo / Hayden Woodward.
“Cordons were in place for several hours, and the Serious Crash Unit attended the scene.”
Hato Hone St John said it took one person to Middlemore Hospital with critical injuries.
St John responded at 12.23am, sending one ambulance, three rapid response units and one manager to the incident, a spokeswoman said.
Emergency services responded to the scene at about 12.45pm.
One person was found in a critical condition. However, resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful and they died at the scene.
A second person was transported to hospital in a moderate condition.
In a separate incident, one person died and four others were injured in a crash involving three vehicles on State Highway 2 in Waiotahe, near Ōpōtiki.
Emergency services responded to the crash at about 2pm on Saturday.
One person died at the scene.
One person was taken to Tauranga Hospital with serious injuries, another person was transported to Waikato Hospital with serious injuries and two people were taken to Whakatāne Hospital with moderate injuries.
The Serious Crash Unit investigated both crash scenes and police inquiries continue.
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