A female motorist is dead after losing control of her vehicle on a corner on Ruahapia Road in Hastings and crashing into a power pole about 12pm today.
A fuse box inside a house across the road caught fire due to a power surge created by the impact of the accident. The fire was brought under control by Hastings' Fire Service, who were already at the scene.
The serious crash unit was still trying to determine the cause of the accident.
Ruahapia Road was cordoned off for at least two hours.
