Three people were killed and six injured in three separate crashes within 7 hours on Waikato roads.
A 15-year-old girl driving on a learner licence yesterday crashed into an oncoming truck, killing the driver, a passenger in her own vehicle and injuring three others.
Emergency services were called to Otewa
Rd just south-west of Otorohanga, south of Hamilton, shortly after 2pm yesterday.
Those killed were truck driver and father-of-three Malcolm John Frew, 57, and a 17-year-old male student from Waitomo, who was a passenger in the Toyota four-wheel-drive vehicle the girl was driving.
Waikato district road policing manager inspector Leo Tooman said police understood the crash happened after the Toyota's driver failed to negotiate a bend and lost control.
Speed had been a factor in the crash.
Three other teenagers who were passengers in the Toyota were taken to Waikato Hospital with serious to critical injuries.
The third person died when a milk tanker and a car collided on State Highway 27, 6km north of Tirau just after 9.30pm.
A 17-year-old man was flown by helicopter to Waikato Hospital with serious injuries, and another male was taken by road to Tokoroa Hospital with minor injuries.
Northern Fire Communications manager Megan Ruru said fire staff had to cut the 17-year-old and the person killed from the car.
Police closed the road and the serious crash unit was investigating the cause of the crash.
In the other incident, a policeman was taken to hospital with serious injuries after a 15-year-old fleeing driver crashed into his patrol car during a pursuit.
Ambulance staff said it was a miracle the officer escaped with only a broken leg.
Police praised members of the public for helping the officer after the crash.
Mr Tooman said the accident happened about 3.40pm in the suburb of Fairfield after the officer, an acting sergeant, went to assist other officers searching for a stolen car.
Witnesses told police the driver drove into the patrol car deliberately.
Mr Tooman said an off-duty nurse, an off-duty fireman and several other people helped the police after the crash.
"Their actions were worthy of recognition and we wanted to go on the record acknowledging this," he said.
The acting sergeant was taken to hospital and was to have surgery last night.
