Easter road toll rises to three

Two fatal crashes in the North Island today have taken the Easter road toll to three.

The latest person to die was a motorcyclist who hit a car on Waingaro Road in Te Kowhai, just north of Hamilton.

Inspector Paul Marshall from the police northern communications centre said emergency services were called about 11.03am today.

He said the motorcyclist died at the scene. No other details were available.

Earlier, a 17-year-old youth died after the driver of a car which was towing another car lost control off State Highway 1 near Ruakaka, about 30km southeast of Whangarei, about 10.15pm yesterday.

Sergeant Bevan Jones of Whangarei police said the car being towed rolled, throwing the youth and a 12 year old from the car and crushed the youth.

Both were taken to Whangarei Hospital, where the youth died in the early hours of the morning, Mr Jones said.

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

The only other person to lose their life on the roads this Easter was Alexis Gordon Michalaros, 37, from the Auckland suburb of Mt Eden.

Mr Michalaros was killed after a seven-car crash on Auckland's southern motorway near Takanini on Good Friday. The smash injured up to 14 people and close the southbound lanes of the motorway for nearly four hours.

The road toll is well down on last year's total of eight, and level with the final total recorded in 2002 and 2003.

National road policy support manager, Inspector Dave Parsons, said police were generally delighted with the standard of driving over the holiday period.

"The weather has been good, and that certainly helps, but people have been keeping the rules, and generally being very patient," he said.

"We've had a lot of congestion in various areas, but drivers have stayed calm."

The worst Easter Weekend had been in 1987, when 19 people were killed.

"For those people going home today, we urge them to keep up their vigilance, watch following distances, speeds and drive to the conditions."

Traffic units were out in force this weekend, he promised.

"There is a split second between a near-miss and a crash.

"We'd just encourage people to keep safe and not let a speeding ticket -- or a smash -- ruin their holiday, or worse."

The official holiday toll period ends at 6am tomorrow.

- NZPA