Four die in horror start to weekend on roads

Two people died and three others were seriously injured when their car smashed into a lamppost at high speed near Christchurch this morning.

The crash brought the official weekend road toll to four so far.

A police spokesman said the crash occurred about 1.40am near the town of Rolleston, just southwest of Christchurch on State Highway 1.

He said SH1 was closed for a short time and the police serious crash unit and other officers were still investigating the crash this morning.

Police have not yet released the names of the dead. No other details were immediately available.

About an hour earlier a 39-year-old man was killed when his four-wheel-drive vehicle crashed into a truck on SH33 between Rotorua and Paengaroa, near Tauranga.

Police said in a statement that it appeared the man's vehicle had drifted across the centreline into the path of an oncoming truck and trailer unit.

The truck driver and a passenger in the truck were uninjured.

The accident occurred about 12.30am and closed the road until about 7am.

Police have not yet released the man's name.

Last night a car driver died after a crash between his vehicle and a Stagecoach bus in Massey Rd, Mangere, police said.

The bus driver was uninjured.

No further details were immediately available.

Earlier yesterday a woman died after a two-car crash 15km south of Dannevirke, but the death is not included in the official weekend toll as it occurred before 6pm yesterday.

Police said the woman's name would not be released until all next of kin had been informed.

A family of four in the other vehicle, including two young children, escaped with minor injuries and were taken to Palmerston North Hospital.

- NZPA