Driver dies in fiery crash on State Highway 1 north of Taupo after car and truck collide

The driver of a car involved in a fiery fatal crash on State Highway 1 north of Taupo this morning was trapped under a large truck and died at the scene.

Taupo Area Road Policing Group Senior Sergeant Fane Troy said emergency services were called to the scene north of Atiamuri near the Bull Ring Cafe about 2.30pm where they were greeted by a large fire engulfing both vehicles.

The driver of the truck was able to free himself from his vehicle and has been taken to the Tokoroa police station. However, the driver in the car had already died.

"Upon arrival at the scene, the truck was located on top of the vehicle with the driver trapped in the vehicle himself."

The work to remove the large truck from on top of the car involved heavy haulage and cranes this morning and the policeman said the road was unlikely to be open before lunchtime.

Police were making inquiries to establish next of kin but are yet to confirm the dead person's identity.

When asked if the stretch of highway was safe, he replied: "All drivers need to take care of roads themselves and drive to conditions".

Traffic at that time of night usually consists of commercial vehicles in a light traffic flow, he said.

A photographer at the scene, who was allowed through the cordon earlier this morning, said the burnt remains of one vehicle was being lifted from the scene by a crane.

He said the blaze made the colour or make of the car difficult to make out. The front cab of the truck and trailer unit was also burnt out, he said.

SH1 ATIAMURI - ROAD CLOSED - 6:00AM
Due to an earlier serious crash #SH1 will be CLOSED for some time between SH30 (south of Kinleith) & SH30 at Atiamuri. Southbound traffic detours from Tokoroa. Allow extra time: https://t.co/jhqjjPOUIq ^TP pic.twitter.com/5saeiTCMME

— Waka Kotahi NZTA Waikato/BoP (@WakaKotahiWaiBP) November 12, 2018

The photographer said there was a hearse at the scene and emergency services were about to remove a body from the wreckage.

A police spokesperson said earlier this morning: "Both vehicles caught fire and it is believed there have been a number of fatalities".

Northbound traffic was being diverted west on to SH30 at Atiamuri to Whakamaru, then north on SH32 back to Tokoroa.

Police said at 6.50am the road would be closed for several more hours as emergency services worked on the "complex scene".

"At this point, at least one person has been confirmed deceased, however, emergency services are still working to separate the crashed vehicles."

Tokoroa Volunteer fire brigade fire chief Dave Morris said the brigade were first responders and arrived to find a "horrific" scene.

"We didn't know how many people were involved but the driver of the truck was out of the truck walking."

The truck was transporting frozen goods and was not carrying dangerous goods, he said.

It was possible there were two people in the car but he could not be certain.

The crash, near a major intersection, closed the road. Photo / Stephen Parker

It appeared a truck travelling north and a car travelling south had collided right beside the Bull Ring Cafe.

"When we arrived both vehicles were well involved in flame."

Once the fire was out the crash was left to the Rotorua Fire Service for any required extrication.

Signage was being arranged at Tokoroa for southbound traffic using the same route.

Southbound traffic on SH30 from Rotorua was being diverted north to Tokoroa then west and south on 32 and 30, back to Atiamuri.

The crash follows a triple fatal in Hamilton where three people - two women and a man - were killed in a two-car collision on the Waikato Expressway.

The crash happened on a slight bend of Mangaharakeke Drive/State Highway 1, between the suburbs of Dinsdale and Nawton, shortly after midnight on November 10.

The crash this morning pushed the country's road toll up to at least 324.

When asked about the skyrocketing road toll and what's driving it, a police spokesperson said there were four main behaviours that contributed to death and serious injury on the roads: speed, driving while impaired-alcohol, drugs or fatigue - driving while distracted, and not wearing a seatbelt.

The crash this morning was the second fatal crash on the highway in recent weeks.

Last month two people died after a serious crash on SH1 near Tokoroa.

The crash, in which three others were injured, occurred near Ohakuri, south of Tokoroa, forcing the closure of SH1.

Bikram Singh Sandhu and Mukul Jaglan were killed when the car Sandhu was driving collided with another car late last month.

Amit Sharma, who was in the back seat, survived.