Holiday road toll climbs to six after couple die in Southland truck and motorcycle crash

Emergency services at the scene of the serious crash near the Oreti River bridge. Photo / Otago Daily Times

Two people have died following a crash between a truck and a motorcycle in Southland.

A man died at the scene and a woman later died in hospital after being flown to Dunedin Hospital in a critical condition.

Their deaths bring the Christmas/New Year holiday road toll to six, two more than the 2019/2020 total.

The crash happened at 1.30pm on the Riverton-Wallacetown Highway at the Oreti River Bridge.

Emergency services at the scene said it appeared the motorcycle and a Fonterra truck had collided.

A patient is transported onto the Otago Regional Rescue Helicopter. Photo / Otago Daily Times

A police spokeswoman confirmed that the police serious crash unit had been called.

A Fire and Emergency New Zealand spokesman said that two fire appliances had been sent to the scene, from Wallacetown and Invercargill.

Firefighters were helping at the scene, including with traffic control, and police were heading the operations, the spokesman said.

Police said the road, which was closed between Cumnock St and Taramoa Rd, has reopened.

Two people died on Christmas Day around 7.30pm after a single-vehicle crash on Clevedon-Kawakawa Rd in southeast Auckland.

Another two died in a crash on Triangle Rd in Henderson, West Auckland, on Saturday morning.

A rescue helicopter lands near the scene of a serious road crash on the Riverton Wallacetown Highway today. Photo / Otago Daily Times