Two people have been taken to Tauranga Hospital with serious injuries after their car struck a tree in Papamoa Beach earlier today.
A police spokeswoman said the crash was reported about 2.35am and the driver of the car was trapped inside the vehicle for a time after it collided with a tree on Santa Monica Drive.
Both the driver and their passenger were taken to Tauranga Hospital in a serious condition, she said.
Police, St John Ambulance and fire service personnel attended the crash and a Tauranga fire crew assisted in freeing the trapped driver.
The cause of the crash is still being investigated, the police spokeswoman said.
