Second death after tanker crash

A second person has died following a collision with a tanker truck in Bay of Plenty yesterday.

The truck and a Volkswagen Golf collided near Paengaroa, at the intersection of State Highway 2 and Wilson Rd around 8am.

The car was turning right, out of Wilson Rd to travel south on SH2, and collided with the truck, which was travelling north, police said.

There were three men and two women in the car at the time. Four were trapped inside the wreckage.

The driver of the Golf, a 30-year-old Indian man from Rotorua died at the scene of the crash yesterday, Western Bay of Plenty road policing Senior Sergeant Ian Campion said.

A 31-year-old Indian man from Rotorua travelling in the car suffered critical injuries in the crash and died at Waikato Hospital at 11.20pm last night.

Two female passengers in the car remain in a critical condition. A a third man suffered minor injuries.

The names of those involved in the crash have not yet been released.

The tanker driver escaped without injury and was receiving support from Victim Support, police said.

Police enquiries into the crash were continuing and no further information was immediately available, Mr Campion said.

"This is the third death on Western Bay of Plenty roads during the holiday period."

He urged drivers to take extreme care, slow down, respect following distances, comply with intersection controls and take plenty of breaks to stay refreshed.

- NZME. News Service

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