Three people are dead after several car accidents today, bringing the North Island road total to seven in just over 24 hours.
Two people were reportedly killed in a head-on crash near Palmerston North this afternoon.
Police said a car that overtook a right-turning vehicle collided head-on with an oncoming car on State Highway 56 at Longburn.
The passenger of one car, believed to be an elderly woman, was killed while the female driver and two children also in the car were seriously hurt. The driver of the other car, an elderly man, was also seriously injured and later died, according to reports.
The cars' occupants had to be cut free from the wreckage after the crash, which police described as high-impact.
In Wellington, one person has died and another is in critical condition following a serious crash on State Highway 1 about 8.40pm. One News reported that the accident was between Tawa and Churton Park.
The crashes followed two crashes near Tauranga and Taupo which claimed four lives since yesterday, bringing the road toll to seven since 7pm Thursday.