A 35-year-old Te Kuiti woman died instantly, and a child survived, in a single vehicle collision in Bay of Plenty today.
The vehicle was travelling east on Sate Highway 41 near the intersection with State Highway 32 when the driver lost control on an easy to moderate left hand bend, police said.
The vehicle collided with an Armco barrier on the opposite side of the road, then slid a further 140 metres before colliding with a tree and coming to rest in bush on the left side of the highway.
A six-year-old passenger received only minor injuries and was helped from the vehicle. Excessive speed appeared to be a factor for the loss of control, police said.