Inexperience and fatigue blamed for fatal crash

Police blame inexperience, speed and possibly fatigue for the death of a teenage driver in South Waikato last night.

It was one of two fatal crashes in the region within hours of each other.

The accident happened on State Highway 30 at Atiamuri at 10pm, when the Nissan car the 16-year-old Rotorua girl was driving left a straight stretch of road and smashed into a tree.

She died at the scene. Her female passenger was taken to Tokoroa Hospital with moderate injuries.

The road was dry and weather fine at the time of the crash, police said.

"We believe the issues were inexperience, speed and possibly fatigue," said Senior Sergeant Fane Troy, of Taupo police.

In an earlier two-car crash near Tokoroa one person died and at least two people were injured.

In the third fatal crash of the weekend an 18-year-old man died when the car he was in failed to take a bend on Christchurch's Cashmere Rd about 2.30am yesterday.

Four others in the car were taken to Christchurch Hospital.

- NZPA