Two dead in separate New Year's Eve crashes

A man who sped through a police check point and then lost control of his car is one of two people who were killed on Bay of Plenty roads on New Year's Eve.
Police district operations manager Inspector Scott Fraser said Eastern Bay of Plenty police attended two fatal car crashes, which took place within 45 minutes of each other on Thursday night.
The Christmas-New Year national road toll is now 20, two more than last year.
Police have not released the names of the two people killed.
The first incident happened just after 6pm when a car travelling east crossed the centre line on State Highway 2 at Matata, on a stretch otherwise known as the Matata Straights, causing a head-on collision with another car.
One person died in the crash and three people were taken to hospital. They were all travelling in the car which crossed the centre line.
It is believed those travelling in the westbound car sustained minor injuries.
It is not yet known why the car crossed the centre line.
The second accident occurred at about 6.45pm on State Highway 35, just outside Opotiki, when a man sped through a police checkpoint and failed to stop when signalled.
The car lost control approximately 200m past the checkpoint, swerving and rolling into a ditch on the opposite side of the road. The man was the only person in the car.
Mr Fraser said until New Year's Eve, the holiday period road toll had been relatively low.
"It's a huge shame for everyone who will be impacted by these two accidents - the family and friends of those killed and injured, as well as police and other emergency services who attended the crashes."
Mr Fraser said police would continue to be out in force on the district's roads over the rest of the summer period and would be specifically targeting the fatal five contributors to serious and fatal road crashes - speed, restraints, dangerous or careless driving, drink or drugged driving and at risk drivers, mainly young people.
"Obviously, we can't be everywhere at once, but we will be out in force with a very visible presence on our roads in an effort to deter problem driving and to help keep others safe."
He encourages people to contact police immediately on 111 to alert them to incidents of dangerous driving.
Mr Fraser said the Bay of Plenty Police District's summer policing operation didn't finish with New Years Eve, and its summer police activities would continue to be in place until Waitangi Weekend.
"The wider summer period is an exceptionally busy time for the Bay of Plenty and our key objective is to help keep people safe and reassured on the street, beach, roads and in their homes."