UPDATED 6.03pm: A 26-year-old woman died from her injuries at the scene of a crash at Te Puna today.
Her two children, aged 3 and 4, have been flown to Starship hospital with serious injuries.
Two cars crashed on State Highway 2 outside Loop Rd about 12:30pm.
Police said a south bound vehicle has crossed the centre line into the path of a north bound vehicle.
An Auckland family in the other vehicle involved in the collision were taken to Tauranga hospital, treated and later discharged.
UPDATED 3.56pm: Two Te Puke children are both in critical conditions at Tauranga Hospital after a car crash that killed the driver of the car they were travelling in.
A Tauranga Hospital spokesperson said the two children, a 4-year-old boy and 3-year-old girl, were both critically injured.
It is undecided whether the children will be taken to Auckland's Starship Hospital for further treatment.
The crash, on State Highway 2 in Te Puna, involved a car and a larger "people-mover'' vehicle and was reported to emergency services about 12.30pm.
The occupants of the larger vehicle are an Auckland family, two adults, two girls, 9 and 11, and two twin boys, 6, and were taken to Tauranga Hospital with minor injuries.
They have since been treated and discharged.
UPDATED 3.40pm: Two children badly injured in a fatal crash at Te Puna may be taken to Auckland's Starship Hospital for further treatment.
The crash, on State Highway 2 in Te Puna, involved a car and a larger "people-mover'' vehicle and was reported to emergency services about 12.30pm.
Tauranga fire service senior station officer Philip Price said firefighters were called to free a young boy trapped in the back seat of the smaller car.
"On arrival, there were two cars - one of which is know as.....[a] people mover. The people were out of that vehicle.''
The driver of the smaller car had been killed in the crash, and the body had been removed before the fire service arrived, he said.
The roof of the car was removed and the passenger seat was pushed forward to get the little boy out.
It took about 10 minutes. He looked to be aged 3 or 4, Mr Price said.
A young girl was also travelling in the car and was already out of the vehicle when the fire service arrived, Mr Price said.
Police said one of the children travelling in the smaller car was in a critical condition. The second child had serious injuries.
Both were at Tauranga Hospital but could be taken to the Starship Hospital for further treatment, police said.
Six people were travelling in the second vehicle.
The two adults and four children had minor injuries and were taken to Tauranga Hospital, police said.
Weather conditions were fine at the time of the crash.
- APNZ
UPDATED 2.15pm: One adult is dead and two children have been seriously injured after after a crash at Te Puna this afternoon.
Two cars crashed on the State Highway outside Loop Rd just before 12:30pm.
One child is in a critical condition and another child is in a serious condition, both were travelling in the same car as the deceased.
New Zealand Police said the seriously injured children may be transferred to Starship hospital in Auckland.
The other vehicle was carrying two adults and four children who have all been taken to hospital with minor injuries.
Traffic is being diverted around the crash scene, along Te Puna Rd, Armstrong Rd and Snodgrass Rd.
Charlemagne Lodge manager Bev Dunton said the crash happened right outside the Lodge in Loop Rd.
Members of a wedding party waiting on the bride and other guests to arrive, including the groom and the groom's father ran down to assist until police arrived.
The groom's father had talked to one of the injured passengers in one of the two crash vehicles and help to keep the person calm until an ambulance arrived.
She would not discuss what crash eye witnesses had seen other than to say "it wasn't very nice".
Ms Dunton said the bride and groom were supposed to get married at 1pm but the wedding had to be delayed as the bride and some of the guests could not get to the venue in time.
EARLIER: A person has been killed in a crash on State Highway 2 at Te Puna today.
Two cars crashed on the State Highway outside Loop Rd just before 12:30pm.
A child that was trapped in one of the cars for a period but has now been extracted from the wreckage and is being taken to hospital with serious injuries.
A third person escaped from the crash unaided. At this stage the relationships and ages of the people involved and the circumstances surrounding the crash have not been determined.
The Police serious crash unit is investigating.
A disregard for authority could be why those attending court are thumbing their noses.