A man is dead after the car he was in crashed so violently that the engine was thrown 10 metres from the vehicle.
Emergency services were called to the scene on Tar Hill, about 12km south of Tokoroa, about 9pm yesterday, Tokoroa Volunteer Fire Brigade chief fire officer David Morris said.
It appeared the southbound car had veered off the road and smashed into a concrete culvert, he said.
"It was a single vehicle, which was in a real mangled state when we arrived."
The car was on its side with the dead man inside, Mr Morris said.
