Man dies in crash near Waipu

Wayne Ewers.

State Highway One south of Whangarei has seen its second fatal accident of the year, after a man died when his vehicle rolled.

Police said it appeared the 63-year-old driver lost control of his 4x4 vehicle as he turned off SH1 into Finlayson Brook Rd, just south of Waipu, at 7.50am on Saturday.

The Auckland man's car went into metal chip at the side of the road and rolled several times. He died at the scene. Another person in the vehicle was uninjured.

No other cars were involved in the crash and SH1 remained open as the man's car landed well away from the road.

The man's name had not been released by police at edition time yesterday.

The death has taken Northland's road toll for 2016 to two.

The man was wearing a seatbelt and police were still investigating what factors caused the accident, citing fatigue or a medical event as possibilities.

Police were urging motorists to take care on the stretch of road, which has seen four fatal accidents in just over two months.

"It's just that same message again," said acting Northland road policing manager Wayne Ewers. "People need to make sure they have plenty of breaks before driving and drive to the conditions. And, if it's a bit wet and greasy, slow down."

The Saturday crash accounted for Northland's second road fatality of the year, as there was another fatal accident on the state highway south of Whangarei last week.

On January 12, a 45-year-old driver died when he lost control and crossed the centre line, into the path of a south-bound fully laden logging truck on Smeaton Hill near Oakleigh.

The man was the car's sole occupant and died at the scene. The truck driver was uninjured.

French tourist Remi Morilleau died on Christmas Day when his rental car crossed the centre line on SH1 at Oakleigh and smashed into another vehicle. He had arrived in the country that day.

Mr Morilleau's death occurred near where 64-year-old Englishman David Banks died after a head-on smash on November 4. He, too, had arrived in New Zealand that day.

The Northland road toll for 2015 was 22, three more than in 2014.