KEY POINTS:
A man is dead and another person injured after a car crash in Northland last night that took the holiday road toll to nine.
The escalating toll was equal to that for the entire Christmas-New Year period in 2006-07, with two days to go until the holiday period is over.
A St John Ambulance spokesman said the Northland crash, involving a single vehicle with two occupants, occurred on State Highway 12 at Omapere in the Hokianga area about 6.20pm.
Meanwhile, excessive speed and alcohol appear to have been factors in a crash near the Central Otago town of Lawrence on Friday night, police say.
Thomas Manawa Pohio, 53, of Lawrence, was killed when his vehicle crossed the centre line on State Highway 8, burst through a farm fence and hit a power pole.
On Sunday night, a 22-year-old man, not yet named, died when a car plunged over a 200m cliff on Omahina Rd near Waverley in Taranaki.
Emergency services found a passenger dead in the wreck.
The driver, found further down the bank, was seriously hurt, with two broken legs, head injuries and possible internal injuries.
Edward Paul, 35, of Mangere was killed at 4.30am on Christmas Day when his car rolled after failing to take a corner on SH2 in the Waikato.
Late on Boxing Day, a 43-year-old man was killed after he lost control of a motorcycle and collided with a lamp post in Halcombe, Manawatu.
Cody Rewi, 17, was killed in a head-on collision on Taihape Rd near Napier about 8.45pm Thursday.
Ahuwhenua Witika, 78, and Hinewai Witika, 81, of Dannevirke, died near Shannon on Saturday afternoon when their car failed to negotiate a moderate bend and hit a bank on the Foxton-Shannon road about 1.30pm.
A man killed when his tractor rolled and crushed him about 8am on Sunday was Peter John Emerson, 61, from Urquharts Bay, about 35km from Whangarei.
The holiday period began at 4pm on Christmas Eve and ends at 6am on Thursday.
- NZPA
