Motorcycle crash takes road toll to 16

The holiday road toll has climbed to 16 after a passenger injured in a crash on Boxing Day died in hospital this morning.

A Ministry of Transport spokeswoman confirmed this afternoon that the person died in hospital this morning from injuries sustained in the crash in Raglan.

Yesterday, Anthony Clifford Sparrow, 50, of Ashburton, died when his motorbike left the road on State Highway 73, near Dry Stream on Porters Pass, at about 5.45pm.

The two deaths have brought the holiday road toll to 16 - more than double the toll over last year's Christmas-New Year period.

The official holiday road period started at 4pm on Christmas Eve, and runs until 6am tomorrow.

Last year's holiday road toll was seven, from a total of 193 reported injury crashes, but the official holiday period was three days shorter than this year.

Meanwhile, police have today named a driver who died in a Friday night smash.

Martin Cadden, a 22-year old Irish national who was in New Zealand on a working visa, lost control of his car and hit a tree on Lake Rd at Leeston, near Lake Ellesmere, Canterbury, about 11.20pm.

Police have also named the man who died in a three-vehicle crash in Hamilton on Friday.

Garry Andrew Wendt, 68, from Ngaruawahia, died after the vehicles crashed on the corner of Whatawhata and Dinsdale Roads, shortly after 2pm.

Four people were also taken to hospital with serious to moderate injuries.

Police are seeking to speak to anyone who may have seen a late model red hatchback travelling toward Hamilton on Whatawhata Road about 2pm on Friday.

They have asked witnesses to contact officers at the Hamilton strategic traffic unit.