Road toll keeping pace with 2004

Road fatalities for 2005 are keeping pace with 2004 following two crashes in the past 24 hours.

Deaths on the West Coast of the South Island yesterday and in Taranaki this morning brought the total to 95, the same as on March 14 last year, Land Transport New Zealand spokesman Steve Evans told NZPA.

The number of fatalities for March is 13, down from 18 at the same time for March last year, Mr Evans said.

Only one person died on the country's roads this weekend, in a crash on State Highway 7, 3km south of Reefton, about 6pm yesterday.

Christchurch St John Ambulance service said one person died at the scene.

Another was airlifted to Christchurch Hospital in a critical condition and a third with moderate injuries was flown to Grey Hospital in Greymouth.

State Highway 7 was blocked at the accident scene this morning and detours were in place, Greymouth Police said today. Police have yet to name the dead person

In a fatal crash which happened after the official weekend period ended at 6am today, one person was killed and another seriously injured after a motorcycle crashed in Taranaki.

Police said the crash happened at the intersection of State Highway 3 and Turangi Road near Waitara, about 10km north of New Plymouth, about 7.50am.

The motorcycle was the only vehicle involved in the accident, Sergeant Dexter Traill of the Police Central Communications Centre said in a statement. No other details were available.

- NZPA