Three victims killed in crash named

The scene of the fatal crash. Photo / NZPA

Three Gisborne teenagers died after a two-vehicle smash on one of the country's worst accident blackspots last night.

Police said that a ute and car collided head-on in wet weather on State Highway 2 at Maramarua in Wakato at 8.10pm.

The three teenagers, a male and two females, who were all in the car, died at the scene and the ute driver, from the Rotorua district, was airlifted to Auckland's Middlemore Hospital where his condition was today reported to be serious.

Waikato police said they were looking into what, if any, part alcohol played in the crash and the serviceability of one of the vehicles.

The dead were named today as 18-year-old girls Tiata Maxwell and Mary Jane Te Purei, and 18-year-old Te Maungarongo Kingi.

Waikato district road policing manager Inspector Leo Tooman said the crash happened between the Pink Pig cafe and the Maramarua garage.

"Initial indications on the cause of the crash are that a westbound Ford Probe car failed to negotiate a gentle left hand bend, spun out of control and ended up in the path of an eastbound Ford Courier utility," he said.

"It has ended up in a T-bone type collision with the ute impacting the driver's side of the car."

The three teenagers suffered critical injuries in the crash and died at the scene.

The Waikato serious crash unit was investigating, and looking into whether the driver had been drinking, as well as the condition of the tyres on the car.

"Toxicology reports will take several days to complete and it will be some time before we can confirm if our concerns are justified," Mr Tooman said.

He said that since the redevelopment of identified black spots on that part of SH2 the number of serious and fatal crashes had greatly reduced.

"Unfortunately where last night's tragedy occurred was outside those areas, obviously this location will now be the subject of some scrutiny to see what if any environmental and engineering enhancements can be made."

The stretch of SH2 between Pokeno and the turnoff to Thames, dubbed the "unforgiving highway", has claimed 31 lives and seriously injured more than 56 people since 2003.

The Gisborne Herald reported that Ms Te Purei was a business student at Matapuna Training Centre, which cancelled its celebrations for World Literacy Day today when news came of the tragedy.

"Staff and students are just devastated. Some of them were quite distressed and have gone home," said chief executive Hana Hohapata.

She described Ms Te Purei as a "happy, awesome person" who was well-liked by her peers.

The trio were travelling to Auckland to pick up some of her clothing and gear left up there, Ms Hohapata said.

Mr Kingi and Ms Te Purei will both lie at Waihirere Marae.

Funeral details for Ms Maxwell have yet to be confirmed.

- NZPA