Two dead after car flips upside down into stream in rural Wellington suburb

Two people are dead after a crash left a car submerged in a rural Wellington stream.

Emergency services were called about 8.05am on Wednesday and arrived to find the vehicle upside down in the stream beside Mākara Rd, a narrow, winding road between Karori and Mākara Beach.

A resident who did not want to be named told RNZ they saw a white blanket laid on the ground at the scene.

“Usually you hear stuff at night, but we didn’t hear anything out of the ordinary. Our neighbour told me it’s quite a common place where people go off, there’s about a two- to three-metre drop from the road down to the stream.

“I’ve witnessed cars having a head-on collision on the stretch before and a bunch of near misses. I haven’t really had a chance to let it sink in. I’ve talked to some of the locals this morning, and they’re really shocked,” he said.

In an update, police said two people were found dead in the vehicle.

“Inquiries into the circumstances of the deaths are ongoing,” a spokesperson said.

Mākara Rd was closed while police examined the scene and has since reopened.