Three people have died in fatal crashes in Wellington and Auckland overnight, bringing the North Island road toll to nine in less than two days.
Just after 8.30pm yesterday police attended a crash between a van and car on SH1 between Tawa and the Churton Park turn- off.
The male driver of the car was killed in the incident and his passenger and the driver of the van were both taken to Wellington Hospital in a critical condition.
A second person died in Wellington Hospital in the early hours of this morning, a police communications spokesman confirmed.
Initial indications show the crash may have been the result of driver error, said police and investigators are carrying out a scene examination.
Anyone who saw a white and blue 1990 Nissan Van on or near the Churton Park off-ramp at about 8.40pm is asked to contact the Porirua Police Station on 238 1400.
Just after midnight a person was killed in a crash on Stoney Creek Road, Kaukapakapa, in Auckland.
The incident is being investigated.
The crashes follow a head-on-crash near Palmerston North yesterday in which two people are understood to have died.
The passenger of one car, believed to be an elderly woman, was killed while the female driver and two children also in the car were seriously hurt. The driver of the other car, an elderly man, was also seriously injured and later died, according to reports.
Two further crashes near Tauranga and Taupo claimed four lives overnight on Thursday, bringing the road toll to niine in less than 48 hours.
