A man has died after a crash between a fully laden logging truck and a ute on State Highway 30 this afternoon.
Police said initial inquiries indicate the logging truck lost control and collided with the ute.
Four people were injured in the crash
A woman travelling in the ute was in a stable condition in Rotorua Hospital and a child travelling in the same vehicle was expected to be discharged from hospital.
A log which fell from the truck struck a second ute and a woman from that vehicle is in a stable condition in Rotorua Hospital.
The truck driver was taken to hospital with minor injuries.
Police said it was raining at the time, but it was too early to say if the weather was a factor.
A serious crash investigation is underway to establish the cause of the crash.
