Two people killed when they were thrown from a four-wheel-drive in a fiery crash early this morning have been named.
Driver Wi Hurinui, 52, of Havelock North, and passenger Paul Ngaroimata Kenrick, 57, of Hastings, died in the single-vehicle crash on State Highway 5 at Rangitaiki, south of Taupo, about 2.20am.
The Taupo-bound vehicle left the road and rolled before landing on its roof and catching fire.
Taupo road policing head Senior Sergeant Fane Troy said the two people were killed when they were thrown from the car.
Another two passengers were trapped and had to be rescued from the burning vehicle by a fifth occupant.
When fire officers arrived the vehicle was "totally involved in fire'', a communications spokesman said.
A number of truck drivers stopped to help out and police would like to speak with all of them.
The three injured people were transported to hospital with minor injuries.
Mr Troy said fatigue appeared to be been a factor in the crash.
"Drivers and passengers need to make sure that when travelling long distances regular breaks are taken.''
Road and weather conditions were fine on the 100kmh limit stretch of highway.
The deaths followed a single-car crash in nearby Mihi yesterday, where a car crashed at 11.30pm, trapping a man.
He suffered serious head injuries and was taken by helicopter to Waikato Hospital in a critical condition.
In an earlier fatal crash yesterday, two local men died just after 7pm when their car crossed the centre line and hit a tree in Omanawa, near Tauranga.
Both were thrown from the vehicle on impact and the car was left "in pieces'', according to police at the scene.
A 43-year-old died at the scene, and another man, aged 42, died at Tauranga Hospital a short time later.
The two men were the only occupants in the car when it crashed and it was not clear at the scene who had been driving.
Acting Sergeant Andrew Crockett described the crash as severe.
Police said speed contributed to the crash.
"The vehicle has certainly hit something. It [the car] is in pieces. It's looking likely at this stage that it has hit a tree,'' Mr Crockett said.
