Man killed in crash named

The elderly man killed when his car collided with another vehicle on State Highway 1 southeast of Blenheim yesterday has been named.

He was Murray John Roberts, 71, of Picton.

Police said it appeared his Subaru station wagon drifted across the centre line near Ward about 1.50pm before colliding with a 4WD vehicle, which was towing a trailer.

A third vehicle which had been following the southbound 4WD crashed off the road while trying to avoid the collision.

Four occupants of the two southbound vehicles were taken to Wairau Hospital in Blenheim.

It was the second road death of the holiday period after Ngaruawahia man Paul McLaughlin was killed in a crash in Waikato early on Christmas Day.

Mr McLaughlin was thrown from his car after it clipped a guard rail, crossed the centre line and crashed eight metres down a steep bank on SH1, at Hopuhopu, 3km southwest of Taupiri, about 1.20am.

The official holiday road toll period began at 4pm on December 24 and runs until 6am on January 5.

Holiday road toll (4pm December 24th - 6am January 5th)