State Highway 2 near Opotiki reopened after large slip

A motorist crashed into a slip in eastern Bay of Plenty just before dawn. Image / Google Maps

State Highway 2 near Opotiki has been reopened after a car crashed into a slip.

The incident follows two other crashes overnight. A car hit a tree south of Te Kuiti and five people were injured - one seriously - in another crash late last night in southeast Auckland.

Police say a large slip closed both lanes of SH2 (Waiotahe Beach Rd), Waiotahe, Opotiki this morning. The slip is between Parkinson Rd and Pohutukawa Dr.

Diversions were in place along Paerata Ridge Rd and Verrall Rd but the road has not been reopened.

Work was still ongoing to clear the slip and delays were still likely, police said.

A police spokesman said they were called to the incident, about 8 kilometres west of Opotiki, just after 6am when a vehicle crashed into the slip.

It was not known if anyone was hurt - the spokesman did not have any further details and St John Ambulance couldn't be contacted.

Police had left the scene by 9am.

Emergency services were also called to southeast Auckland last night, after five people were hurt in a two-car crash at Whitford Maraetai Rd and Henson Rd at 11.30pm.

One car rolled and some people were trapped following the crash, the spokesman said.

St John Ambulance tweeted that they took five people to Middlemore Hospital. One had serious injuries and two had moderate injuries.

Two other people received minor injuries.

In the third overnight crash the trapped driver of a car was rescued after crashing into a tree.

The crash occurred about 11.40pm on the State Highway 4 and Mapara North Rd area of Kopaki, south of Te Kuiti.

No one was hurt in the crash, the police spokesman said.