Timaru crash victim named

Police have named the man killed when his car and a truck collided near Timaru on Sunday, in a smash police described as "horrific".

He was Steven Robert Albert Marsham, 21, from Timaru.

His Nissan Terrano collided head on with the truck. The Nissan was crushed beneath the truck, which needed to be pulled onto its side so the car could be reached.

Meanwhile, Gisborne police are still trying to track down relatives overseas of a 23-year-old man killed on Friday night before they released his name.

Emma Green, 15, of Gisborne was also killed when the Subaru they were in overtook another vehicle and struck a small concrete roadside shed on State Highway 2, near Makaraka.

Three survivors in the car were hospitalised.

Police were investigating reports the car clipped the other vehicle as it was overtaking and also considering whether speed and alcohol were factors in the crash.

- NZPA