The elderly man who died after escaping his crashed car at the weekend near Tutira has been named.
Sergeant Kevin Stewart said he was 81-year-old Leslie Trevor Mildon, who was known as Les.
Mr Stewart said the man had crashed his car while driving from Napier to Wairoa to go whitebaiting on Saturday morning.
"The car went off the road and down a gully landing on the railway line. Mr Mildon then managed to extricate himself from the car and he clambered up the bank where he waved down a passing motorist."
Emergency services were called halfway between Tutira and Putorino along SH2, near Matahorua Road at about 8.30am. Mr Mildon was accessed at the scene before being taken to Hawke's Bay Hospital.