Police name three who died in crash with bus

Police have named three young men killed after the car they were in collided head-on with a bus near Taupo yesterday.

They were 16-year-old Anuj Antony, who was the driver, Anjo Antony, 21, and Richard Kurian, 13.

All were from Hamilton.

The collision happened about 1.30pm, at Maroa, 25km north of Taupo.

Senior Sergeant Tony Jeurissen, of Taupo police, said he believed the driver was not driving to the road conditions.

"The vehicle involved was passing a vehicle at the time and the weather conditions were wet, cold and misty," he said.

Mr Jeurissen said when police arrived at the crash scene they found a late model Hyundai "wedged" under the front of a bus carrying 43 people .

The bus was carrying four army personnel, a civilian driver and 38 male and female teenagers on their way to an army camp at Waiouru.

Six people on the bus received minor injuries and were taken to Taupo Hospital. The others were taken to Taupo's Great Lake Centre where they were looked after by police and Victim Support before continuing on their journey to Waiouru.

Mr Jeurissen said the crash would be reported to the Taupo coroner.

- NZPA