The first Labour weekend fatality happened early yesterday morning, when a car struck a median strip and a truck on the Southern Motorway near Pokeno. Photo / Grahame Clark, SNPA
The Labour Weekend road toll stands at three tonight.
Emergency crews are at a crash involving a car and motorcycle near Wallacetown, in Southland.
The accident happened at Underwood-Linds Bridge Rd just after 3pm.
A 56-year-old man died at the scene.
It is not yet known whether he was the motorcyclist or was in the vehicle.
A woman critically injured in a Paekakariki crash died in hospital overnight.
She was Te Rauoriwa Daphne Pomare, 79, from Levin.
Four people were injured in the head-on collision northeast of Wellington yesterday.
Emergency services were called to the scene at State Highway 1, just south of Paekakariki, about 11am.
Pomare is believed to have been the driver of a northbound car.
She was airlifted to Wellington Hospital with critical injuries, a spokeswoman for the Wellington Free Ambulance said, but police confirmed today that she died overnight.
Two others who were travelling in a southbound car - including the driver - were taken to the same hospital via ambulance, suffering moderate injuries.
Two other people were treated at the scene, the spokeswoman said.
The road was closed for more than three hours.
The first Labour weekend fatality on New Zealand's roads happened early yesterday morning, when a car struck a median strip and a truck on the Southern Motorway, near Pokeno, just after 4.30am.
The southbound lanes of the motorway were closed off between Razorback Rd and Nikau Rd interchanges for some time.
Details of the person killed have not yet been released by police and the Serious Crash Unit is investigating.
In Greymouth, a motorcyclist was killed during a street race, but the death is not part of the official road toll as the street was closed to the public at the time.
The motorcyclist killed was taking part in the Greymouth Motorcycle Street Races event when the accident occurred.
He suffered critical injuries after crashing his bike on Herbert St, about 11am.
A St John Ambulance spokeswoman said the rider was being taken to hospital in an ambulance when they died.
"We were transporting them to hospital in a critical condition when they sadly became deceased."
Authorities are investigating the crash and are appealing for any witnesses to contact police.
People close to the motorcyclist killed started leaving online tributes following news of his death.
One friend acknowledged his mate's love of bikes and said it was not a good day at the racing.
He called his mate "a top fella''.
Another simply called it a "tragic day''.
A person also died on a quad bike near Taupo, but it is understood it did not occur on a public road so is also not included in the toll.
The crash happened in a bush reserve off State Highway 41, near Kuratau.
A 28-year-old woman was taken to hospital.
Three people were on the bike when it rolled down a bank and into a stream about 1am.
The death will be referred to the coroner.
There was also a crash on State Highway 2, between Ridgemount Rd and Matahorua Rd, just after 5pm.
Two cars collided and the drivers of each were taken to Hawke's Bay Fallen Soldiers' Memorial Hospital with serious injuries.
A police spokeswoman said there were no passengers in either vehicle.
On Saturday, a man was injured in a hit-and-run in Whanganui.
Jesse Minnell, 24, was struck by a vehicle in Anzac Parade at 2.20am on Saturday and a 61-year-old man has since been arrested.
Police were attending a reported brawl, between 10-15 people, outside the Red Lion Hotel when the incident occurred.
The arrested man will appear on two charges in the Whanganui District Court tomorrow morning.
A police spokeswoman said he faces one charge of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm (other weapon) and one of being an unlicensed driver failing to comply with prohibition.
Mr Minnell is from Whanganui and attended Whanganui High School but has lately been living in Palmerston North while studying at Massey University.
Police said no arrests were made in relation to the brawl outside the hotel.
The official holiday road period runs from 4pm on Friday to 6am tomorrow.
Last year the Labour weekend road toll was five, from 94 reported injury crashes.
It's understood a NZDF aircraft and multiple helicopters are involved.