Motorcyclist killed on holiday highway

File photo / NZ Herald

One person is dead and two others are injured after a serious crash on a key Coromandel holiday highway this afternoon.

Emergency services were called after a motorcycle and car collided just after 3pm on the Kopu-Hikuai Rd, east of Thames.

Fire Service shift manager Jaron Phillips said both vehicles caught fire after the collision.

"The car and the motorbike are totally burnt out."

He said three fire crews were at the scene, and would remain there for the rest of the investigation.

Police have set up traffic diversions at the western end of SH26/SH25A and the eastern end of SH25A/25 while an investigation is carried out.

The road is a main route to popular holiday spots including Pauanui, Tairua and Hahei Beach on the Coromandel Peninsula.

A police spokesman refused to comment on the crash, and said diversions would remain in place until necessary.