KEY POINTS:
A baby was found wedged under the front seat of a car after a fatal crash near Tolaga Bay, north-east of Gisborne, last night.
One woman is dead and a man is in a critical condition after their car collided head-on with a truck at the intersection of Kaiaua Road and the East Coast Highway, about 8.30pm.
It was the second fatal crash in the district in recent days, with alcohol and a lack of seatbelts factors in both.
The impact of last night's crash thrust a 2-1/2 month-old baby boy from his car seat and wedged him underneath the passenger seat of the vehicle, projecting the unrestrained car seat metres down the road.
Police said the occupants of the car had been at birthday celebrations at a marae on Kaiaua Beach Road about 8.30pm.
They left the party and it was understood the car crossed the centre line into the path of an oncoming maize truck, said Gisborne road policing manager Inspector Chris Wallace.
Police believe the man had been drinking before driving the car.
On Saturday Mihi Jane Pomfret, 46, of Wairoa, and Toria Te Kakau Edwards, 38, also from the Wairoa area were killed about 6pm when they were thrown from their southbound car on State Highway 2 when the vehicle failed to take a bend and rolled down a three metre bank.
The driver is in Gisborne Hospital.
Police also believed alcohol to be a factor in this crash and neither of the people killed were wearing seatbelts.
Mr Wallace was extremely disappointed and frustrated.
" We have just a national restraint campaign and the message is a hearty one; always wear your seatbelt, but clearly the message does not always get through," he said.
"Both this crash and the one in Wairoa have resulted in deaths and injuries to people which were entirely preventable if they had been wearing seatbelts."
A young boy was also in the car, unrestrained, and he and the baby were taken by road ambulance to Gisborne Hospital with minor to moderate injuries.
The Lion Foundation Eastland Rescue Helicopter flew the driver, in his 30s, to hospital with critical injuries.
Mr Wallace said the number of drivers involved in drink-driving accidents was of a serious concern to police.
"We think alcohol is a significant factor in the crash last night, and of course if you drink and drive your decision making abilities are significantly impaired."
The woman died before advanced paramedics arrived at the scene.
The truck driver was not physically hurt, police said.
It was understood the driver of the vehicle would be charged. He remains in a serious condition in the intensive care unit today.
- NZPA
