Police following before deadly crash

A man killed on Sunday when his station wagon hit another car and broke a concrete power pole was being followed by police at the time of the crash. Photo / file

A man killed on Sunday when his station wagon hit another car and broke a concrete power pole was being followed by police at the time of the crash.

Stacy Edward Graham, 35, from Otane, died in the collision at the intersection of State Highway 2 and Drumpeel Rd.

Police said he had earlier drawn the attention of a police officer in a parked patrol car by doing a "wheelie'' on Higginson St, the main road into Otane.

Hastings Area Commander Inspector Dean Clifford said the man then turned right on to the highway and drove north towards Hastings "at speed''.

The police officer turned to follow the car and activated the patrol car's red and blue flashing lights, and was about 400m behind Mr Graham, who continued to travel "at speed''.

The police officer then came across the two crashed cars further down the road.

Mr Clifford said there was no "pursuit'' of the vehicle as the officer did not have time to activate one.

"It all happened very quickly and by the time the officer got on to the state highway from the side road, the offending vehicle was some distance away and soon became out of sight,'' Mr Clifford said.

The police Serious Crash Unit is investigating, and the Independent Police Conduct Authority has been notified due to the involvement of the police vehicle.

Meanwhile, police have released the name of the woman who died after her car left the Hawke's Bay Expressway and crashed into a ditch on Sunday.

She was Hester Raharuhi, 25, of Hastings.

She died at the scene despite the efforts of doctors and a paramedic who came across the scene of the crash just after noon.

Her 2 year-old daughter, who was securely strapped in a seat restraint, escaped with minor to moderate injuries and is in a stable condition in Hawke's Bay Hospital.

- APNZ