Woman killed in Matamata crash was the mother of two young children

A woman killed in a Waikato crash over the weekend was the mother of two young children.

The 38-year-old died at the scene of the crash on State Highway 27 in Matamata yesterday afternoon after the car she was in rolled into a ditch.

Her two children, aged 3 and 6, were injured in the crash - one critically and one left with minor injuries.

Police confirmed on Monday morning the 53-year-old man, who also suffered minor injuries in the crash, was the woman's husband.

The three injured peoples were rushed to Waikato Hospital following the crash, which happened shortly before 3pm.

A spokeswoman from Waikato Hospital said on Monday morning all three patients were in a stable condition.

A nearby resident on SH27 told the Herald on Sunday he provided assistance at the crash scene after he went to check that his neighbour's cattle had not escaped.

"The car was upside down in the ditch. It had gone through some rails and landed in the drain," he said.

"I gave a bit of assistance while I was there. I helped get a couple of young kiddies out of the car and a gentleman. I then held up a cover until the fire brigade got there to keep them in the shade."

He was not aware of the cause of the crash, but said the children's grandparents were following in a separate vehicle when the crash happened.

The fatality was the tenth this year to date, just one behind the 11 people who had died on our roads at this time last year.

This follows a horrific year on our roads over 2017, during which 380 people died in crashes.

This was just four short of the highest toll since 2009 when 384 people died.

Over the official holiday period. which ended last Wednesday, 12 people died in crashes across the country.

Despite the grim toll it's an improvement on last year when 19 people died over the same period.