Two dead in overnight crashes

Two people are dead following car smashes in the central North Island this morning.

One person died after a suspected head-on smash in the town of Turangi.

Police were alerted to the two-car crash at 4.45am, which happened on State Highway 1, police northern communications Inspector Turepu Keenan told NZPA.

"There's some speculation it may have been a head-on (collision)...We don't have any details of the injured or the deceased," he said.

The Serious Crash Unit was investigating, he added.

No other details were immediately available.

And a heavily pregnant 42-year-old has died and two people have been taken to hospital after a head on collision near Palmerston North just after midnight.

The collision happened just outside Opiki, on State Highway 56, about 18 km southwest of Palmerston North.

It appeared a northbound vehicle driven by a man crossed the centre line and hit the southbound vehicle, police communications inspector Paul Jermy said.

The heavily pregnant driver of the southbound vehicle was killed at the scene, while the driver of the northbound vehicle had to be cut from his car by the fire service and was taken to Palmerston North by ambulance hospital in a critical condition.

A female passenger in the southbound vehicle also was taken to hospital in a serious condition.

Mr Jermy said police were investigating whether alcohol played a role in the crash.

- NZPA