One killed in Southland crash

A person has died in a crash on SH 96 near Browns. Photo / Google

One person has died in a crash in Southland.

A car and a truck collided on State Highway 96, near Browns, shortly after 7pm.

One person died at the scene and another sustained minor injuries.

The road is closed and diversions are being put in place.

The Serious Crash Unit has been advised.

The crash is the third fatal collision this weekend.

Two people died - and another suffered critical injuries - in a crash at Nuhaka, east of Wairoa, on Friday night.

One person died after a crash in the Manawatu at about 1am, yesterday. Two cars - which were carrying six people - collided on Rongotea Rd.

Tonight's crash brings the road toll for the year to date to 199 - 12 more than the same period last year and 39 more than in 2014.

In the 12 months from June last year to June 28, 389 people have died on our roads - the highest toll in the past five years.

Shock waves rippled through the country last week after the crash near Waverley which killed seven people - including a baby girl and an 8-year-old.

Ian Porteous, 80, his wife Rosalie, 76, his sister Ora Keene, 84, and friend Brenda Williams, 79, Nivek Madams, 8, Shady Thompson, 8-weeks-old, and 28-year-old Jeremy Thompson all died after the crash.

It was the worst crash on New Zealand roads in 13 years.

The Transport Agency's safety and environment director, Harry Wilson, said there were several reasons for the rise in road deaths.

One of those was an increase in the number of cars on our roads since the end of the global financial crisis and more kilometres travelled by people and freight vehicles.

"NZTA will be accelerating speed management, we'll be trying to identify where the highest-risk roads are and making sure those roads have safe and appropriate speeds. We will be embarking on an ambitious infrastructure investment programme."

Wilson said there would also be more enforcement from police in higher-risk areas.

On Thursday, Minister of Transport Phil Twyford announced that Cabinet had approved a new 10-year plan for transport which will provide record investment in the roads, rail and public transport for regions and cities, and save lives on our roads.

"There is a new emphasis on safety, with a doubling of investment in road safety promotion and a 14 per cent increase in road policing to help reduce the number of deaths on our roads. This Government is not prepared to accept a growing number of road deaths," Twyford said.