Man dies after car crashes into Avon River

An off-duty police officer pulled two young men, one who later died, from a car that crashed on its roof into the Avon River in Christchurch early today.

The car had been travelling west on New Brighton Rd and was going around a bend when it left the road about 2am, Sergeant Steve King of Papanui police said.

It had ended up on its roof and had been almost fully submerged, with just its wheels and the bottom of the car visible.

Two off-duty officers and another man at the scene had dived into the river to try to rescue the occupants of the car, Mr King said.

One of the officers had pulled two young men from the crashed vehicle. They had been taken to the bank but unfortunately one, aged 19, had died.

Sergeant Lindsay Turner of police southern communications said the other occupant of the car had been taken to Christchurch Hospital where he was in a serious condition.

The cause of the crash was unknown early today as the surviving occupant could not be spoken to.

The vehicle had been recovered from the river.

In Taupo, police were alerted to a crash between a car and a truck shortly before midnight. 

The crash happened when a Kenworth truck and trailer travelling north on Lake Terrace -- State Highway 1 -- crashed into the rear of a stationary Volvo truck and trailer, Acting Sergeant Greg Weston of Taupo police said in a statement.

That had caused the Volvo's trailer unit to cross the centre line and crash into a southbound car.

The driver of the Kenworth, a 61-year-old man from Tangimoana, had been seriously injured in the crash. He had to be cut free from the wreckage by the Fire Service and was taken to Taupo Hospital where he was later pronounced dead.

The car driver had minor injuries and was treated at hospital and discharged, while the Volvo driver was uninjured.

Investigations were continuing into the cause of the crash.

- NZPA