Four serious Waikato crashes and two fatalities over Christmas period

There have been four significant crashes in the Waikato region since December 23, as New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi warn New Zealand’s roads are yet to hit their busy peak.

Two of the Waikato crashes on December 23 were fatal, which along with a Northland crash brought the road toll for the day to three people.

The first occurred on State Highway 25 around 3km southeast of the State Highway 25A turnoff between Whangamatā and Hikuai at 12.45pm.

One person died following the incident, and the road was closed for several hours.

Less than one hour later, there was a serious crash on State Highway 32 Whakamaru Road heading towards Tokoroa.

One person from the scene was taken to hospital, with a NZTA spokesperson later confirming their death.

Diversions were put into place and road users were warned to expect delays.

There was also a serious crash with reported injuries at 10.37am at State Highway 1 on the Waikato Expressway which saw motorists face delays.

Emergency services attended to a single vehicle which partially blocked the road near Matangi Bridge.

On Christmas Day, there was a further crash at Tapapa, east of Tīrau, which blocked State Highway 5 in both directions at 12.20pm.

A single vehicle collided with a power pole, which caused the lines to come down across the road.

One person was reported to have moderate to serious injuries.

There were also fatal crashes in Methven and Prebbleton, bringing the current national holiday road toll to six people.

Milly Fullick is a journalist based in Taupō. She joined the Taupō & Tūrangi Herald team in 2022.