Road deaths mar holiday weekend

The number of deaths on the roads during Queens Birthday holiday weekend rose to three this afternoon.

A two-car car crash on State Highway 75 at Gebbies Pass Road near Christchurch left one person dead and others with serious injuries, police said.

There was also a fatal crash at a roadworks site near Levin early today.

Last night a pedestrian who was hit by a vehicle near Oakura in Taranaki became the weekend's first fatality.

The crash near Levin happened on State Highway 57, just north of the town, near the corner of Arapaepae Road and Heatherlea East Road.

Levin police Constable Jarrod Ranish said emergency services were called about 5.20am to the crash site where a northbound vehicle with two people in it went off the road and ended on its roof in a creek.

Both occupants were trapped in the vehicle.

"The female passenger died at the scene," Mr Ranish said.

The Square Trust rescue helicopter was called to take the male driver to Palmerston North Hospital.

A spokesman for the helicopter rescue service said a 42-year-old Palmerston North man was treated at the scene by St John paramedics before being flown to Palmerston North with suspected head injuries.

Mr Ranish said the man's injuries were not life-threatening.

The police serious crash unit attended the scene and the road was closed for several hours.

Mr Ranish said it was believed speed and alcohol were contributing factors to the crash.

Meanwhile police are investigating the death of the Taranaki pedestrian.

A New Plymouth police spokesman said today the accident happened about 6.45pm yesterday when the male pedestrian was hit by a vehicle on State Highweay 45 in the Tapuae Valley, 2km north of Oakura.

The man was walking on the mountain side of the highway toward New Plymouth when he was hit by a south bound vehicle.

Police are not discounting that he may have been hit by more than one vehicle.

The man was of medium height and build, and wearing black jeans and a dark green Swandri. Police want to hear from anyone who was in the area at the time and saw the pedestrian or any vehicles.

- NZPA