One dead in Banks Peninsula, Canterbury crash; third road death in less than 24 hours

The crash occurred in Okuti Valley, on Banks Peninsula. Image / Google Maps

One person has died in a crash on Banks Peninsula this afternoon.

A police spokesperson said the sole occupant of a car died in the noon crash in Okuti Valley, 50km south-east of Christchurch.

"A car went over a bank on Bossu Rd ... the sole occupant of the car has been confirmed deceased," the spokesperson said.

The Serious Crash Unit has been told and traffic management would remain while emergency services were at the scene.

The death follows that of another person in a single-vehicle crash just before 4.30am on Te Puna Rd, near Tauranga. A second person was critically injured in the crash.

That crash came after a man died in a single-vehicle crash on Christchurch's Southern Motorway just before 9pm yesterday.

The man, who died at the scene, was the only occupant of the vehicle, police said.