A backseat passenger died when the car he was travelling in left the road and crashed into a tree last night.
State Highway 2 at Awatoto, near Napier, remained closed this morning after the accident.
The dead man was Matthew Marwood, 22, of Napier.
Four other men were taken to
hospital. Steven Heremia and Dillan Rogers-Miller, both 20, were in Hawke's Bay Hospital's intensive care unit. Mr Heremia had serious head injuries and Mr Rogers-Miller a broken pelvis.
David Gregan, also 20, and 19-year-old Grant Tyler had minor to moderate injuries and had been kept in overnight for observation.
The driver of the car had been routinely tested for blood-alcohol but police would not comment on whether alcohol was a factor.
A detour was in place while police established the cause of the crash. No other vehicles were involved.
Police are asking anyone who saw a blue coloured Honda Integra in Napier last night to contact them.
- NZPA, HAWKE'S BAY TODAY
