Driver has heart attack and dies

A Lower Hutt man is dead after suffering a suspected heart attack as he was driving his vehicle out of a carpark on State Highway 30 near Mangakino.

Senior Sergeant Fane Troy of the Taupo police said the 67-year-old man was with a 4WD club visiting the area.

Club members had been staying in Rotorua and the man's wife was in Rotorua yesterday when contacted by police about her husband's death.

The man was driving out of a carpark which leads to a walkway about 16km south of Mangakino about 2.30pm yesterday when he apparently suffered a heart attack.

His vehicle crashed into the rear of another 4WD vehicle.

Two other family members in the man's car, believed to be his son-in-law and grandson and the people in the other vehicle were not injured.

Two doctors travelling with the group in other vehicles tried to revive the man but were unsuccessful.

The road was wet at the time of the collision.

Mr Troy said a post mortem would be carried out and the Taupo Road Policing Group was investigating the circumstances leading up to the crash.

The man's name was expected to be released later today.