Patient motorists keep weekend death toll down to 3

As thousands of people return from the holiday weekend the road toll remained at three last night.

A vehicle crashed off a bridge and into a creek in Auckland's East Tamaki last night.

One person was killed, taking the Labour weekend road toll to three.

Few other details were available on the accident in Hills Rd, which happened about 8.20pm.

Auckland woman Edith Plimmer, 89, died after she was struck by a car on a pedestrian crossing in Royal Oak on Sunday morning.

Mark Anthony Tierney, 41, of Ohope, died on Saturday after his milk tanker truck overturned at Matata.

Five people were killed during Labour weekend last year, and three people were killed on the roads in 2003, the lowest toll since 1977 when two people died in car crashes.

Police were grateful last night for no major incidents as holiday-makers returned to Auckland from popular spots such as Northland, the Coromandel and Raglan.

Inspector Scott Webb said the end of any holiday period always brought traffic to a standstill.

"It's heavy, but it's flowing. There's always heavy traffic but more people are using [alternative route north] State Highway 16, and that's made a difference to traffic flow," Mr Webb said.

He said there had been no reports of accidents, injuries, or flaring road rage tempers.

The standstill traffic on State Highway 1 north of Orewa yesterday afternoon still tested motorists' patience.