Mount Maunganui fatal crash brings holiday road toll to eight

Emergency services at the scene of a fatal crash at the intersection of Hewletts Rd and Aerodrome Rd, Mount Maunganui. Photo / Cameron Avery

A fatal crash in Mount Maunganui has brought the Christmas holiday road toll to eight.

A section of State Highway 2 at Mount Maunganui was closed for several hours last night after one person was killed in a two-vehicle crash.

A police spokesperson has confirmed one person died after a crash between a truck and a car last night.

The happened at the intersection of Aerodrome Rd and Hewletts Rd, Mount Maunganui.

The spokesperson said emergency services were notified of the crash at 10.17pm.

“One person died at the scene,” the spokesperson said.

Inquiries were ongoing to determine the cause.

A Fire and Emergency spokesperson said FENZ was alerted to a crash involving a car and truck at about 10.20pm.

“One person was trapped inside,” the spokesperson said.

Emergency services are at the scene of a fatal crash at the intersection of Hewletts Rd and Aerodrome Rd, Mount Maunganui. Photo / Cameron Avery

A Hato Hone St John spokesperson said four ambulances, one rapid response vehicle and one manager attended the scene.

“We assessed and treated three patients, one in a serious condition and two in a moderate condition. All [were] transported to Waikato Hospital.”

A police statement published at 11.08pm on Wednesday said SH2 in Tauranga was closed between McDonald St and Maru St “due to a serious motor vehicle crash”.

A police spokesperson told the Bay of Plenty Times this morning that the road reopened around 4am.

The Christmas holiday road toll now stands at eight.

The official road toll period started on December 22 and runs until January 3.

Yesterday a woman was found dead after falling off a quad bike on Rauparaha St in Marokopa.

One person died after a crash in Prebbleton, southwest of Christchurch on Boxing Day.

One person died after a single-vehicle crash on Methven Highway (State Highway 77) in the suburb of Allenton outside Ashburton, on Christmas morning.

Three people died in separate crashes on Saturday.

A person was killed after a crash between a motorcyclist and a car on State Highway 25 between Whangamatā and Hikuai about 1pm.

An hour later, another person was killed after a crash in Whakamaru Rd in the Bay of Plenty.

On Saturday evening, a motorist died in a single-vehicle crash at about 8pm in Te Ahu Ahu Rd, Northland.

One person died after fleeing a police checkpoint in Whangārei on Friday evening.

Police found the vehicle in Beach Rd about 6.40pm. The driver died at the scene.

According to the Ministry of Transport’s latest data, the provisional road death toll for 2023 is sitting at 332. Of that number, 29 deaths occurred in December.

The Bay of Plenty police district has recorded 31 fatal crashes this year with five crashes occurring in December so far.

The Ministry of Transport’s road fatality data is updated daily.