Two people are dead after a serious crash at a highway junction near Karapiro in the central North Island.
A third person was taken to Waikato Hospital with serious injuries.
Police briefly reopened the highway to allow a backlog of vehicles pass the crash around midday.
However, the road was expected to be closed at the intersection of State Highways 1 and 29 for several hours while a scene examination and vehicle recovery takes place.
A traveller driving past the crash scene described the crash's deadly carnage.
