The woman who died at the scene of a crash on Te Aute Road near Havelock North has been named.
She was Jennifer Eriha, 25, of Flaxmere.
The driver of the other vehicle remains at Hawke's Bay Hospital with serious injuries.
Emergency services were called to the scene about 7pm Friday.
Senior Sergeant Nick Dobson of the Eastern District Command Centre said: "This was a tragic incident. Any crash that takes both a life and where another person is so seriously injured is a reminder to us all how precious life is."