Police yet to determine cause of crash

The damaged house was moved into a nearby paddock until the removal can be continued. Photo / Peter de Graaf

A Northland man has died after his car and a house collided on State Highway 10.

The accident occurred just before 2am yesterday as a house was being transported on a truck about 1km north of Pakaraka Junction, 18km south of Kerikeri.

The 52-year-old from Kerikeri, the car's sole occupant, died at the scene. The driver of the truck and his passengers were uninjured.

Constable Dawn Bestwick, of the police Commercial Vehicle Investigation Unit, said the truck was travelling north and the car was heading south when the collision occurred.

The house removal company had two pilot vehicles ahead of the truck and one behind it at the time of the collision.

The crash closed SH10 until the early hours of yesterday morning. Traffic was diverted at Pakaraka Junction and Old Bay Rd.

The crash occurred on a straight section of highway between a bridge and a corner.

The house was shifted into a nearby paddock and put on blocks until the move can continue. One corner of the house was clearly damaged.

The house was being transported to Doubtless Bay.

Northland road policing manager Wayne Ewers said police had yet to determine the cause of the crash but the matter had been referred to the coroner.

The name of the deceased man would not be released until next of kin had been contacted.

The Whangarei-based police Serious Crash Unit attended the crash, as did St John Ambulance and the Kerikeri Fire Brigade.

The death takes Northland's road toll for 2015 to 17. Northland's road toll for 2014 was 19.