A second person was taken to hospital with critical injuries.

Emergency services were alerted to the incident at 4.50pm.

A two-vehicle crash on SH2 near Pāpāmoa has closed one lane of the road.

Logs spilled from a trailer separated from a logging truck this afternoon in Kinleith.

'The road appears partially blocked,' police say.

The officer is being spoken to, but that's not enough, the affected truckie says.

Traffic on Auckland's Southern Motorway is backed up more than 8km following a multi-vehicle crash near the CBD this morning. Video / Luke Kirkness

Traffic is slow-moving from Ellerslie, more than 8km away from the accident.

The blockage was disrupting traffic headed for the Wellington Cup at Trentham Racecourse.

'He’s destroyed our lives.'

St John sent five ambulances and two helicopters.

One person was critically injured.

A couple from Hamilton and a man from Auckland died in the 2022 crash.

Three others were injured in the two-vehicle crash on Sunday.

The hospital nurse who died 'touched the lives of so many' – friend.

A cordon is in place as police hunt for the occupants of the vehicle.

Police have pleaded for motorists and the public to avoid the area.

'One patient in a serious condition was transported to Middlemore Hospital.'

Marcia Shattuck was one of 13 people killed on New Zealand roads over the holidays.

Police believe high speeds were a factor in the crash.

Inquiries into the circumstances of the crash are ongoing.

There are several people and serious injuries involved, police say.

Police located the deceased at the scene.

Emergency services went to SH3, near Blueskin Rd in Westmere, about 10.15am today.

More than 10,000 drivers fled police in New Zealand during 2023.

Inquiries into the crash are ongoing, police say.

Family and the NZ Army have paid tribute to the 20-year-old private.

'I would've thought the driver’s best option was to have braked.'

One police officer was forced to jump out of the way.