Second death in Paengaroa crash

Emergency services at the scene of a fatal crash on State Highway 2 at Paengaroa yesterday. Photo/George Novak

One of the passengers involved in a fatal car crash at Paengaroa yesterday has died.

The 31-year-old Indian man from Rotorua had been taken to Waikato Hospital with critical injuries but did not survive the night.

The man had been a passenger in a VW Golf which pulled out from Wilson Rd onto State Highway 2 about 8am when it collided with a tanker truck. The driver of the car died at the scene and two other passengers, women also from Rotorua, suffered critical injuries.

The truck driver who was not seriously injured received counselling at the scene.

Western Bay of Plenty head of road policing Senior Sergeant Ian Campion said enquiries were continuing and no further information was available for now.

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

On Boxing Day, a man died at Whakamarama in the Bay of Plenty when the rental car he was driving and another vehicle collided, critically injuring an elderly Omokoroa couple.

The 70-year-old man and the 74-year-old woman were yesterday in serious conditions in Tauranga Hospital.

Mr Campion said he urged drivers to take extreme care out there, slow down, respect following distances, comply with intersection controls and drive refreshed taking plenty of breaks.