Biker deaths take toll to five

The road toll for Easter stood at five last night, one of the lowest on record. The holiday period was to officially end at 6 o'clock this morning.

Three motorcyclists were killed in separate accidents yesterday, taking the toll to five, and a woman from one of the motorcycle accidents was in critical condition in hospital.

Nine people died over the Easter holiday last year.

About 6pm yesterday, a 32-year-old man was critically injured when a motorcycle and a car collided at the intersection of Pakowhai and Ruahapia Rds in Hastings. He died later in hospital.

The woman with him on the motorcycle was in a critical condition in Hastings Hospital last night.

An hour earlier, a 56-year-old man died when his motorbike and a tractor collided north of Matamata.

About 11am, a motorcyclist was killed in a collision with a car on Waingaro Rd in Te Kowhai, north of Hamilton.

On Sunday night about 10.15, a 17-year-old youth was critically injured after the driver of a car which was towing another lost control off State Highway 1 near Ruakaka, about 30km southeast of Whangarei.

Police said the towed car rolled, throwing out the youth and a 12-year-old. Both were taken to Whangarei Hospital, where the teenager died early yesterday.

The 12-year-old was in hospital with a suspected broken ankle. Three other people were treated at the scene of the crash.

The holiday period started with a series of nose-to-tail accidents on the Southern Motorway about 9.45am on Good Friday.

Alexis Gordon Michalaros, 37, died when his car was crushed between two four-wheel-drives in a seven-car pile-up that led to further crashes in which 14 people were hurt.

The southbound lanes of the motorway were closed for nearly four hours.

Inspector Paul Marshall of the police northern communications centre said traffic was good over the long weekend although some motorists had a slow trip back to Auckland.

They faced a slow drive home yesterday afternoon along the notorious State Highway 2 - which has claimed 40 lives in the past five years - because road cones were blocking passing lanes.

Drivers called the Herald to complain about the measure, saying traffic was backed up for up to 10km.

Sergeant Harry Watt of the highway patrol said the cones had been used along the passing lanes on the highway for the past 12 months and there had not been a fatality.

Mr Watt said that at 4pm yesterday traffic stretched from Maramarua to Mangatawhiri. "If it's not coned and we have a big smash there traffic will be more than backed up.

"If motorists are inconvenienced that's just hard luck really. If I can stop one fatal accident happening, that more than compensates for the passing lane being closed off."