Police recover body from 4WD crash site

Police believe alcohol may have been a factor in a fatal 4WD accident in the Kaimai Ranges.

Police have recovered the body of a man killed when his 4WD left a track in the Bay of Plenty and plunged down a 100m bank.

They are also considering what part alcohol played in the 31-year-old man's death.

Witnesses are currently being interviewed and Serious Crash Unit investigators are on their way to scene.

Sergeant Graham McGurk of Matamata police said the alarm was raised about 2.30am.

"It appears a group of people in three four-wheel-drive vehicles have travelled up Thompson's Track, a 4WD access only track over the Kaimais between Te Aroha and Katikati, near Tauranga, and made camp for the night near the summit.

"The group have been drinking and one member of the party has decided to drive his vehicle up to a lookout on the summit and unfortunately his vehicle has gone over the edge ending up about 100m down in thick bush," Mr McGurk said.

The man's companions became concerned they hadn't seen him after about 15 minutes and walked up to the lookout where they saw his vehicle had plunged over the edge, he said.

"It took a while for the alarm to be raised and this track is accessible only by 4WD. The first responders were the Katikati Volunteer Fire Brigade who had to walk to the crash site from the end of Thompson's Rd.

Mr McGurk said agencies involved at the scene included the Waikato Police Search and Rescue, a Tauranga based rescue helicopter, St John ambulance and the fire service including a high angle rescue team from Hamilton.

The recovery operation was expected to take several hours.

- NZPA