The man who died after a crash near Moerewa early today was believed to be pulling out of the Affco freezing works car park when his vehicle was hit by a truck.
A spokesperson for the police Serious Crash Unit said the Mid North man was the sole occupant of a car that collided with a fuel tanker and trailer heading south on State Highway 1 about 12.10am.
It was thought the 21-year-old had just finished a shift at Affco but that had not yet been confirmed.
He was taken by St John Ambulance to Bay of Islands Hospital in nearby Kawakawa but died before a rescue helicopter arrived to transfer him to Whangārei.
The truck driver was uninjured.