Horror day on region's roads

Police at the scene of yesterday afternoon's crash on Te Ngae Rd. Photo / Stephen Parker

Two of the three people who died in a collision between a car and a logging truck yesterday were believed to have not been wearing seatbelts.

One other person was critically injured in the crash on State Highway 1 north of Tokoroa about 3.45pm.

SH1 remained closed into the evening as emergency services worked to free the trapped bodies from the wreckage. Diversions were put in place at Wiltsdown and Rollett roads.

Police said last night that the small saloon car travelling north appeared to have crossed the centreline colliding with a logging truck travelling south.

It was yet to be established what caused the car to cross the centreline.

The female driver of the car and two rear passengers (one male and one female) died at the scene.

The male front seat passenger was critically injured and airlifted to Waikato Hospital.

Police said the initial scene examination showed the rear passengers in the car were not wearing seatbelts.

The truck driver was shaken but not injured.

Police said the people in the car were foreign nationals but no further details, including nationality, would be released until next of kin had been notified.

Police were working to re-open the road as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, a 14-year-old girl was taken to Rotorua Hospital with facial injuries after a car in which she was a passenger collided with a truck on State Highway 33, north of the State Highway 30 turn-off, just after 8.30am yesterday. Rotorua police Sergeant Dave Hamilton said it had rained just prior to the crash, which might have been a factor. "There were two female occupants [in the car], with the passenger thrown from the car and [she] sustained facial injuries."

The 22-year-old driver was also taken to hospital but a Lakes District Health Board spokeswoman said both were discharged later in the day.

The truck driver was not injured, Mr Hamilton said.

"People do need to be aware of the road conditions. After a dry spell the road gets greasy after the rain. We also suspect speed may have been a factor in this.

"This is a 100km/h area, people need to drive to the speed limit and be aware of the conditions," Mr Hamilton said.

Crash on State Highway 33, Tikitere between a car and a truck yesterday. PHOTO/ BEN FRASER

A stop-go sign was put in place, with traffic slowly allowed through past the scene.

A diversion was also set up via Okawa Bay Rd through to Hamurana but was taken down about 9.30am.

Mr Hamilton said police were still investigating the crash.

Then, around 5.30pm yesterday, a crash caused delays for motorists on Te Ngae Rd.

A Rotorua Daily Post reporter at the scene said it appeared two cars had been involved in a nose to tail near the intersection with Vaughan Rd. Traffic heading towards the airport was down to one lane. Additional reporting Adriana Weber and