Two die in fatal crash on State Highway 1 near Umawera; one person drowns by Ruatangata West

State Highway 1 was closed for a few hours. Photo / NZME

Two people died after a single vehicle crash on State Highway 1 by Umawera at the Hokianga Harbour.

Police were attending the serious crash at around 5.40pm on Wednesday night.

The road was closed for a few hours with motorists advised to delay travel or use an alternative route.

Senior Sergeant Hayden Korach said the vehicle left the road on a right-hand bend, hit a tree and continued into a paddock.

He asked anybody who saw the vehicle, a Nissan Safari four-wheel drive, travelling between Kaikohe and Umawera on Wednesday night to contact police.

Police are still investigating the cause of the crash, but seatbelts may have been a factor, Korach said.

"We can't say at this point whether they were or weren't wearing seatbelts, but it appears they weren't. It could have been a factor that would have saved one of them."

Northland's road toll for 2022 is now 19.

Emergency services also attended an incident in Ruatangata West at around 6.15pm last night after a parent found their 14-year-old unconscious in a creek.

Despite CPR first aid the youth died and appears to have drowned.